Drug kills breast tumor cells after chemo

[The Straight Story]

Drug kills breast tumor cells after chemo

HOUSTON, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. medical researchers say they've developed an experimental cancer drug that kills breast tumor cells that survive chemotherapy.

Dr. Jenny Chang of the Baylor College of Medicine and a lead investigator of the research, along with scientists from the University of Michigan, said in both animal and patient studies the drug eliminated chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer stem cells -- cells that could potentially refuel tumor growth.

"In previous studies, we have identified a genetic pathway -- called the Notch pathway -- as a top target for eliminating these tumor-initiating, breast cancer stem cells," Chang said. "Now, we have found a compound that inhibits activation of this pathway, reducing the number of tumor-initiating or cancer-causing cells that come from the original tumor."

She said the next step is to take the drug into larger studies involving patients.

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/12/14/Drug-kills-breast-tumor-cells-after-chemo/UPI-47121260823145/