June 26, 2007
DALLAS -- U.S. scientists have found a substance derived from the bark of the South American lapacho tree can kill certain types of cancer cells.
The researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said their finding suggests a novel treatment for the most common type of lung cancer.
The compound, called beta-lapachone, has shown promising anti-cancer properties and is currently being used in a clinical trial to examine its effectiveness against pancreatic cancer in humans. Until now, however, researchers didn't know the mechanism of how the compound killed cancer cells.
In the study, Dr. David Boothman and colleagues found beta-lapachone interacts with an enzyme called NQO1, which is present at high levels in non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors. In tumors, the compound is metabolized by NQO1 and produces cell death without damaging non-cancerous tissues that do not express this enzyme.
"Basically, we have worked out the mechanism of action of beta-lapachone and devised a way of using that drug for individualized therapy," Boothman said.
The research is described in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
