Researchers at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv have developed a molecule that can prevent the formation of metastases in breast cancer.
Jordan Chill, co-author of the study, said in an article published in Today: “Our progress is very interesting, because today there are no drugs in production to prevent metastases, but especially to stop the spread of cancer.”
The new molecule was tested on mice and showed a 90% reduction in the risk of metastases.
The results of the study show that the active substance succeeded in stopping the formation of metastases in the lungs, reducing the risk of developing secondary tumors by 90% compared to the control group.
The lungs are the place in the body where breast cancer most frequently metastasizes.
And the good news doesn’t end there. The team, which made this molecule, believes that the new molecule could be effective in the case of all solid tumors.
Israeli researchers are now concerned with making a drug that is safe for humans, capable of limiting the risk of metastasis. Thus, this would be the first drug that prevents secondary cancers.
Jordan Chill says that “Most drugs available today focus on shrinking tumors once they develop. Therefore, our preventive approach could save many patients. We have created the tip of the rocket, now we have to develop the whole rocket”, he emphasized.
The most common cancer
Breast cancer is the most common of all cancers in women and is the leading cause of cancer death in European women, according to the European Society for Medical Oncology.
It is estimated that one in nine women in Europe will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, but these estimates vary from country to country.
One woman in eight who reaches the age of 85 will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer research statistics show that every 3 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
