New anticancer innovations
The EC-funded PROFILING MMP INHIBITION project focused on identifying metalloproteinase functionalities and subsequently favourable antineoplastic profiles. This is expected to form the next step towards designing new metalloproteinase inhibitor compounds without unwanted side-effects. Partners worked on a series of innovative approaches in this field of anticancer research. Researchers combined a modified-anthrax-toxin containing prodrug (PrAg-U2) with FP59 a recombinant cytotoxin. The combination was tested out on mice with a variety of neoplasias. Antitumour effects were shown to be promising, however, the combination displays a dose-response relationship with regard to both antitumour efficacy and systemic toxicity. Toxic side-effects appear to be problematic in spite of efforts to alleviate them. Administation of murine monoclonal antibodies could serve towards systemic protection against toxicity. However, further research into this field is warranted in order to arrive at an efficacious anticancer compound.
