Researchers at Northwestern University, Chicago, and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, have developed a small-molecule drug that can stop the movement of cancer cells and so prevent their spread to other areas of the body. Early tests in mouse models of different human cancers showed that the orally administered compound KBU2046 inhibited metastasis, reduced bone destruction, and prolonged survival, without any evident toxicity. “Cancers are lethal because they move,” says senior researcher Raymond Bergan, M.D., division chief of hematology and medical oncology and professor of medicine at OHSU. “This drug is designed to stop that movement.…We started off with a chemical that stopped cells from moving, then we increasingly refined that chemical until it did a perfect job of stopping the cells with no side effects. All drugs have side effects, so you look for the drug that is the most specific as possible. This ...
Original Article: Cancer Metastasis Hobbled by New Compound