Angiostatin testing in people begins.A drug that cured cancer in mice has been proved safe in people. Nineteen patients with various cancers received daily intravenous infusions of the drug angiostatin an·gi·o·stat·in n. A naturally occurring protein that is a specific inhibitor of endothelial proliferation and a potent angiogenesis inhibitor. It is under investigation as a potential cancer therapy. for up to 6 months without showing any serious side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. , says study coauthor Robert L. Capizzi, an oncologist at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Before the test, all the patients had failed to improve during chemotherapy. Researchers and the public are closely watching angiostatin's progress. In laboratory animals, it prevents a tumor from creating a system of blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. through which to get nutrients. Although the drug appears safe, it's too early to tell whether it actually works in people, Capizzi says. Some patients died from their disease during the study. Those who had to undergo surgery, however, all healed properly, despite angiostatin's inhibition of blood vessel blood vessel n. An elastic tubular channel, such as an artery, a vein, a sinus, or a capillary, through which the blood circulates. blood vessel(s), n the network of muscular tubes that carry blood. growth, Capizzi says. He presented results of the preliminary study last month at an American Society of Clinical Oncology American Society of Clinical Oncology, or ASCO, is an organization that represents all clinical oncologists. Every year, ASCO holds a large symposium where physicians and researchers meet to convey and discuss research and ideas. meeting in San Francisco. |
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