Using mice studies, early-stage research led by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, and Sun Yat-sen University, China, showed that stiripentol has the potential to reduce tumor resistance and resistance to chemotherapy. And will help to survive.
In the study, the team focused on lactate-resistant cancer tissues.
For the study, published in the journal Nature, researchers examined tissues from 24 patients suffering from stomach cancer, 15 of whom had cancer resistant to chemotherapy and whose tumors continued to grow.
Stiripentol and chemotherapy reduced the size of the tumor. These also survived for more than 70 days.
In comparison, tumors in mice treated with chemotherapy alone shrank for a week and then began to grow again. With chemotherapy alone, no mice survived more than 40 days after treatment.
Additionally, lactate was also found to be responsible for changing the structure of a key protein involved in DNA repair, called NBS1, and affecting its efficiency.
Researchers believe that lactate may be behind chemotherapy resistance in other cancers such as "pancreatic, lung and ovarian cancer".
"This extremely promising research has revealed a potential mechanism for how cancer survives chemotherapy," said Professor Axel Behrens, Professor of Stem Cell Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research.
"In our early-stage studies, we've seen that you can prevent lactate buildup and re-sensitize chemotherapy-resistant tumors," Axel said.
In the study, the team focused on lactate-resistant cancer tissues.
For the study, published in the journal Nature, researchers examined tissues from 24 patients suffering from stomach cancer, 15 of whom had cancer resistant to chemotherapy and whose tumors continued to grow.
Stiripentol and chemotherapy reduced the size of the tumor. These also survived for more than 70 days.
In comparison, tumors in mice treated with chemotherapy alone shrank for a week and then began to grow again. With chemotherapy alone, no mice survived more than 40 days after treatment.
Additionally, lactate was also found to be responsible for changing the structure of a key protein involved in DNA repair, called NBS1, and affecting its efficiency.
Researchers believe that lactate may be behind chemotherapy resistance in other cancers such as "pancreatic, lung and ovarian cancer".
"This extremely promising research has revealed a potential mechanism for how cancer survives chemotherapy," said Professor Axel Behrens, Professor of Stem Cell Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research.
"In our early-stage studies, we've seen that you can prevent lactate buildup and re-sensitize chemotherapy-resistant tumors," Axel said.
