FAU Researchers Successfully Test New Cancer Drug.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 29, 2003 Researchers at Florida Atlantic University “FAU” redirects here. For other uses, see FAU (disambiguation). Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. are one step closer to creating a drug that successfully cures cancer. A research team headed by Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan of FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science is an academic college of Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. The mission of the college "is to provide the benefits of scientific understanding to our students and the public through teaching, research and has successfully tested a new drug for human colon cancer colon cancer, cancer of any part of the colon (often called the large intestine). Colon cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. in animal models. The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences. USA. Dr. Naraynan and his team, made up of Maurice Phil De Young and Matthew Tress, developed the drug using a gene found on chromosome 21 that is normally associated with Down syndrome Down syndrome, congenital disorder characterized by mild to severe mental retardation, slow physical development, and characteristic physical features. Down syndrome affects about 1 in every 730 live births and occurs in all populations equally. . Dr. Narayanan and his research associates detected a product of that gene, called SIM2, in colon, pancreas and prostate cancers. "The fact that the SIM2 gene product is not present in most other normal tissues raised the possibility that a relatively non-toxic drug could be developed that would prevent this gene from helping the cancers to grow," said Dr. Narayanan. The FAU FAU Florida Atlantic University FAU Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (Portuguese: Architecture and Urbanism College) FAU Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany) FAU Film Adapter Unit researchers designed the drug using a second generation antisense antisense, DNA or RNA manipulated in a laboratory so that its components (nucleotides) form a complementary copy of normal, or "sense," messenger RNA (mRNA; see nucleic acid). technology, which inhibits the gene from producing the proteins needed for the tumor to grow. In immune-compromised mice that had human colon cancer cells introduced into their systems, the new drug inhibited tumor growth without serious toxicity. Dr. Narayanan says that drugs of this type have the potential to move treatment away from conventional cytotoxic drugs Cytotoxic drugs Drugs that function by destroying cells. Mentioned in: Antirheumatic Drugs , such as chemotherapy, which have serious side effects. Cancers of the colon and rectum are the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancers and rank second among cancer deaths in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. This year, it is estimated that more than 148,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed. More than 56,000 people die from this disease annually, making it a leading cause of cancer death in the United States. In addition to serving on the FAU science faculty, Dr. Narayanan is founder and president of Forseti Biosciences, Inc., FAU's first biotechnology spin-off company. Forseti Biosciences is working to bring the benefits of Dr. Narayanan's discoveries to the medical marketplace. For more information on Dr. Narayanan's genetic research, or to inquire about partnering and investment opportunities with Forseti Biosciences for bringing potential cancer drugs to market, contact Dr. Narayanan at 561-445-0943 or by e-mail at rnarayanan@fau.edu. |
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