The new take-at-home drug that ‘could boost effectiveness of chemotherapy'
Named KCL -HO-1i, the drug operates by dismantling a crucial defence mechanism employed by tumours to shield themselves from treatment.
Initial trials conducted on mice demonstrated remarkable success, with the tablet enabling chemotherapy -resistant tumours to become responsive to therapy.
Researchers are now hopeful for human trials, envisioning KCL-HO-1i as a "valuable companion drug" to chemotherapy.
This could potentially spare patients from more aggressive interventions.
While chemotherapy remains a cornerstone in treating various cancers by disrupting cell growth, its efficacy can be hampered in some individuals when the body's immune cells inadvertently form a protective barrier around tumours.
These white blood cells, known as macrophages, produce a protein called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which helps shield the tumour from the immune system and blocks the effects of chemotherapy.
KCL-HO-1i, which has been created by experts at King's College London (KCL), targets this protein to make tumours more responsive to treatment.
Professor James Arnold, head of tumour immunology group at the university, said: 'We discovered that these macrophages in cancer play a key role in blocking chemotherapy.
'By targeting the enzyme they produce using KCL-HO-1i, we were able to help beneficial immune cells and chemotherapy drugs become significantly more effective.
'In laboratory models, even chemotherapy-resistant tumours became responsive to treatment, which is a really exciting step forward.'
The drug has been designed for patients to take at home as a tablet between chemotherapy sessions.
Early tests on mice, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, found the drug made breast cancer tumours more responsive to different types of chemotherapy.
Researchers are now hopeful that trials involving patients with breast cancer and other forms of the disease could begin within two years.
James Spicer, a professor of experimental cancer medicine at KCL, said: 'Chemotherapy remains a key part of treatment for many patients with cancer, but too often it is not as effective or long-lasting as we might like.
'This research has identified a key reason for these limitations, and discovered a drug that we are keen to test in the clinic alongside established chemotherapy drugs.'
Miraz Rahman, a professor of medicinal chemistry at KCL, added: 'If human trials are successful, KCL-HO-1i could become a valuable companion drug to existing cancer therapies – helping more patients to benefit from the treatments that are already available and reduce the need for more aggressive cancer therapies in the future.'
The King's College London scientists have launched a spin-out company called Aethox Therapeutics.
Tanya Hollands, research information manager at Cancer Research UK, which supported the study alongside funding from the Medical Research Council, said: 'Researchers are increasingly learning how to make better use of existing cancer treatments, whether it's using them differently or in combination with new medicines, like this work suggests.
'Using combination therapies can help bring improved treatment options to patients more quickly, safely and affordably, because some components of the treatment have already been tested and used in the clinic.
'While early stage, it's exciting to see this potential new way to disarm cancer's ability to avoid detection by the immune system with a new drug, while also boosting the effectiveness of chemotherapy, and we look forward to seeing how this work progresses.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Social apnoea': sleep disorder could worsen at weekends, research suggests
Letting your hair down at the weekend might be a well-known recipe for a hangover, but researchers say it might also increase the severity of a common sleep disorder. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) involves complete pauses in breathing or partial reductions in airflow that arise because muscles in the back of the throat relax, causing the airways to narrow or close. It is more common in groups such as older people and people who are overweight or obese. Now researchers have found the severity of the condition increases at the weekend. The study cannot prove the cause, but suggests it could be down to lifestyle factors such an increase in drinking and smoking, or changes in the type or patterns of sleep – all of which can increase the risk of the condition. As a result, they have called the phenomenon 'social apnoea'. 'Obviously, people tend to drink more on the weekend. They tend to smoke more on the weekend if they are prone to smoking,' said Prof Danny Eckert, a co-author of the research at Flinders University in Australia, adding that as well as a possible effect from irregular sleep patterns, it might also be that people were less likely to use devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (Cpap) machines to manage the condition at the weekend. The researchers say regardless of the underlying cause, the results matter given the health and safety implications of OSA. It is known to raise the risk of conditions including stroke, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, and can also affect driving safety as a result of sleepiness, have an impact on relationships, and reduce quality of life. Writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Eckert and colleagues report how they analysed de-identified data from 70,052 people – the majority of whom were middle-aged, male, and overweight – who used a commercially available under-mattress sleep sensor that can track heart rate, snoring and sleep apnoea. All participants had four or more sleep recordings a week, at least 28 sleep apnoea measurements a year, and five or more breathing disruptions an hour during sleep, on average, a year. The team found the odds of moderate to severe sleep apnoea, meaning 15 or more breathing interruptions an hour, were 18% higher on Saturdays compared with Wednesdays, and the effect was more pronounced in men and people under the age of 60. They also found weekend catch-up sleep of 45 minutes or more, compared with less than six minutes, and social jetlag – in other words, a clock-shift in sleep patterns – of 60 minutes or more, compared with less than 18 minutes, was associated with 47% and 38% greater odds of having moderate to severe OSA respectively. Dr Sriram Iyer, an NHS respiratory and sleep consultant, who was not involved in the work, said the study highlighted the night-to-night variability in OSA symptoms, and the team's assumptions about the cause of the weekend uptick were 'perfectly reasonable'. Ryan Chin Taw Cheong, a consultant ENT and sleep surgeon at the Cleveland clinic, London, praised the size of the study, saying it was the first of its kind to look at variability in the severity of the condition throughout the week. While he noted that study did not include data on participants' lifestyles, meaning it could not prove the cause of the increased severity of OSA at the weekends, he said factors such as smoking and drinking were known to exacerbate symptoms, and addressing such issues – alongside diet and weight – should be one of the first steps taken to tackle the condition. 'With the best intentions, we can try to treat you medically. But if you're consuming lots of alcohol or smoking heavily, whatever we're doing as medical professionals will be just a drop in the ocean,' Cheong said.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Rising sea levels could erase one of the planet's iconic heritage sites
A new study warns that rising sea levels could threaten Easter Island 's iconic moai statues and other cultural sites by the end of this century. The research, published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage, specifically highlights that the 15 monumental figures at Ahu Tongariki could be inundated by powerful seasonal waves. Lead author Noah Paoa and his team used a high-resolution "digital twin" of the island's coastline to model future wave impacts, predicting waves could reach Ahu Tongariki as early as 2080. The site at Ahu Tongariki, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is vital for the island's tourism economy and cultural identity, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually. The study urges proactive measures such as coastal armoring, breakwaters, or even relocating the monuments to prevent irreversible damage to these globally significant heritage sites.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Chesterfield heartbreakingly announce owner Phil Kirk's cancer treatment hasn't worked and he'll enter palliative care
CHESTERFIELD have confirmed the tragic news that owner Phil Kirk's cancer treatment has not been successful. Phil, who co-owns the League Two club with brother Ashley Kirk, will now enter palliative care. 4 A club statement announcing the heartbreaking news read: "Chesterfield Football Club owner Phil Kirk has been undergoing treatment for cancer in recent months. "Sadly, despite the best efforts of his medical team, the treatment has not been successful. Phil is now entering a period of palliative care. "Phil and his family remain deeply committed to the ongoing support of the club and its community. "The club will continue to operate as normal, and we are united in ensuring Phil's vision and values remain at the heart of everything we do." Phil was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in March. The outlook at the time was grim, and sadly the latest updates confirmed the club's worst fears. A club statement at the beginning of his treatment stated: "Over the next few months, he will be receiving treatment to prolong his life, but this is not expected to deliver a cure." 4 Fans and clubs from around the EFL have come forward with their condolences following the heartbreaking update. One Spireite fan gave testimony on X of the positive influence Phil and Ashley have had on the club since taking over in 2022. They said: "In all the 72 years of watching Chesterfield FC this is the saddest news I can ever remember coming from our club. "This man has made this club loved by young and old Phil this club and fans will never forget you." 4 4 Another fan added: This is deeply sad news. Phil, Ashley & everyone involved should be proud of the work done at town since their involvement. "His legacy will continue and town are in a much better place than when the Kirk family invested. Thoughts go to all." Since taking over, the brothers have invested over a million pounds on their way to earning the club promotion to the EFL at the end of the 2023-24 season. Their impressive campaign last season, their first in the EFL in six years, saw them earn their way into the playoffs with a seventh-place finish, where they were knocked out by Walsall. Their steady rise through the footballing pyramid, and the number of touching tributes from fans and rivals, is symbolic of the passion and the positive influence that the brothers have brought to the community in their limited time with the club thus far.
