New molecules have been found that will help the body cope with high doses of chemotherapy drugs
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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American experts have discovered molecules that interact with stem cells of the intestine and help the body survive at very high doses of chemotherapy and radiation.
In the treatment of cancer tumors, the dose of chemotherapy is of primary importance, sometimes, to kill cancer cells, a lethal dose is required for a person. According to experts, the chance of a favorable outcome in humans is in the case if the gastrointestinal system works without violations and is not involved in the cancer process.
In one of the laboratories of the University of Michigan, recently discovered biological mechanisms that help protect the digestive tract from prohibitive doses of chemotherapy. The first experiments were conducted on laboratory mice, but experts believe that the data obtained will soon make a real breakthrough in the treatment of cancers, especially in later stages. Researchers have identified proteins that come into contact with molecules of a certain type (located on the surface of intestinal stem cells). When interacting with molecules, proteins activate the process of regeneration of the gastrointestinal tract.
In the various tissues of our body, there is always a pool of stem cells that, when unfavorable, produce new cells that are needed to repair damaged organs and tissues. But the number of stem cells is insufficient for very severe damage, cells simply can not repair organs after high doses of chemotherapy or radiation, which are used in advanced stages of cancer tumors. At this point, it is extremely important to protect stem cells in the gastrointestinal tract to help the intestine cope with its main function - the removal of toxin from the body.
Specialists have found substances that will help a person withstand extremely high doses of chemotherapy and radiation, until the cancer cells in the body are completely destroyed. Scientists in their experiment used mice, which were injected with new molecules and as a result, about 50 - 75 mice survived even with lethal doses of chemotherapy. Mice, which were not led by molecules, all died to one after chemotherapy.
With good bowel work, the patient gets more chances of survival. But the researchers said that they will now make every effort to achieve a 100% survival rate of mice at high doses of chemotherapy drugs. In the laboratory, the molecules of Slit2 and R-spondin have been studied for more than 10 years. As studies have shown, these molecules actively participate together with stem cells in intestinal repair. Scientists are sure that all this in the future will help in the treatment of cancer tumors in later stages with multiple metastases. The head of the study believes that if their assumption is true, then in the future people will not die of cancer, although confirmation of the data on the human body has not yet been conducted.
Any malignant tumor in any organ can be destroyed with large doses of chemotherapy or radiation. But now the problem in treating advanced forms of cancer is that there is a possibility of a patient's death before the cancer cells are destroyed. Perhaps scientists will be able to find a way to solve this problem and in the future one fatal disease will be less.
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