Coxib-type drug targets cancer
Myeloma cell proliferation was inhibited by the experimental drug |
Tumour growth may be inhibited by a drug that resembles a coxib, new data show.
Scientists have shown that 2,5-dimethyl-celecoxib (DMC), a compound structurally
similar to the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
inhibitor celecoxib, can destroy tumour cells that are resistant to conventional
chemo-
therapies.
Previous research has shown that the COX-2 enzyme is overexpressed in
some cancer cells, including multiple myeloma cells, and that its expression
is associated with a poor outcome for the patient.
Using human multiple myeloma cell lines, the scientists found that DMC
inhibits the proliferation of the cancerous cells, including several
drug-resistant variants. It does this by blocking targets that are essential
for the myeloma cell growth and survival by a
mechanism independent of COX-2
inhibition.
Since DMC lacks COX-2 inhibitory function, it is thought that the drug
may not cause the side effects associated with COX-2 inhibitors, in particular
the cardiovascular
effects for which some of the drugs have recently been removed from the
market. The study was published
online in Blood on 25 August. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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