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Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Scientists of one of the oldest research centers in Australia (the Walter Institute and Elisa Hall in Melbourne) have revealed a new property in the anti-cancer drug. As studies have shown, the drug is able to cure hepatitis form B, if you add antiviral to the treatment. Such therapy proved to be effective in 100% of cases.
Experiments on laboratory rodents with chronic hepatitis B have shown that the disease completely passes. Now Australian experts are preparing for clinical trials involving people and it is likely that in a few years the previously considered incurable form of hepatitis will cease to be a terrible diagnosis. Also, experts hope that the treatment method developed by them will help with other serious diseases, such as tuberculosis or HIV, whose pathogens develop resistance to drugs.
Head of the research team Mark Pellegrini commented on the work of his colleagues. The result of the conducted preclinical tests showed 100% effectiveness in the treatment of viral hepatitis.
A team of researchers used Birinapant, a new drug designed to treat cancerous tumors. The drug has already passed clinical trials involving people and has shown its effectiveness, but it has not been on sale so far.
During the tests, the scientists found that Birinapant destroys hepatitis-infected liver cells, while not affecting the healthy ones.
Then the specialists decided to use the antiviral drug Entecavir simultaneously and were amazed, since the destruction of the infection began to occur twice as fast.
Specialists are full of hope that clinical trials involving people will also be effective. Mark Pellegrini noted that the research team is already ready to conduct tests on people.
According to WHO in the world, more than 350 million are infected with a deadly hepatitis virus. The disease occurs mainly in developing countries. The disease leads to damage to liver tissue, kidneys, and can also trigger the development of cancer tumors.
In countries where antiretroviral medications are available, patients with chronic hepatitis take it for life or until a new organ transplant is performed. But, in spite of this, more than 700 thousand people die each year from viral hepatitis.
As the head of the research group noted, an anti-cancer drug helps restore a natural mechanism of purification from pathological cells that have affected hepatitis or a cancerous tumor.
Experts explained that usually with infection, the liver starts the signal and the sick cells self-destruct to prevent further spread of the infection, but the hepatitis virus blocks this signal and the cells do not respond to the infection and the virus affects the whole organ over time.
When Birinapant is injected into the body, natural mechanisms are restored and as a result, the infected liver cells die.
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