ΣΧΟΛΙΟ "ΙΣΧΥΣ": ΕΠΙΚΕΦΑΛΗΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΗΤΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΙΑΤΡΟΣ Κος ΜΙΧΕΛΑΚΗΣ. ΑΥΤΟΣ ΜΑΖΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΤΟΥ ΔΗΜΙΟΥΡΓΗΣΑΝ ΜΙΑ ΧΗΜΙΚΗ ΘΕΡΑΠΕΙΑ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΩΝΤΑΣ ΕΝΑ ΠΟΛΥ ΦΘΗΝΟ ΒΑΣΙΚΟ ΣΥΣΤΑΤΙΚΟ ΤΟ... "dichloroacetate, or DCA..." ΑΠΟ ΟΤΙ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ ΣΕ ΘΕΣΗ ΝΑ ΓΝΩΡΙΖΟΥΜΕ Η ΕΦΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΕΧΕΙ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΣΕ ΚΑΠΟΙΕΣ ΜΟΡΦΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΔΗ ΚΑΡΚΙΝΟΥ. Ο ΙΑΤΡΟΣ Κος ΜΙΧΕΛΑΚΗΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΟΜΑΔΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΙ ΠΟΥ ΚΑΘΟΡΙΖΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΕΝΔΕΙΚΝΥΟΜΕΝΗ ΔΟΣΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΑΝΑΛΟΓΑ ΜΕ ΤΟ ΕΙΔΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΡΚΙΝΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΕΝΤΑΣΗ-ΕΚΤΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΒΟΛΗΣ.
Υ.Γ: ΘΑ ΘΕΛΑΜΕ ΝΑ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΛΥΤΗ ΥΠΟΣΤΗΡΙΞΗ ΜΑΣ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΠΑΣΧΟΝΤΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣ ΜΑΣ ΝΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΥΧΗΘΟΥΜΕ ΤΑΧΕΙΑ ΙΑΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΠΑΡΑΚΙΝΗΣΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΜΗΝ ΕΓΚΑΤΑΛΕΙΨΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣΠΑΘΕΙΑ.
DCA is an odourless, colourless, inexpensive, relatively non-toxic, small molecule. And researchers at the University of Alberta believe it may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer. Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, a professor at the U of A Department of Medicine, has shown that dichloroacetate (DCA) causes regression in several cancers, including lung, breast, and brain tumors. Michelakis and his colleagues, including post-doctoral fellow Dr. Sebastien Bonnet, have published the results of their research in the journal Cancer Cell. Scientists and doctors have used DCA for decades to treat children with inborn errors of metabolism due to mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria, the energy producing units in cells, have been connected with cancer since the 1930s, when researchers first noticed that these organelles dysfunction when cancer is present.
Until recently, researchers believed that cancer-affected mitochondria are permanently damaged and that this damage is the result, not the cause, of the cancer. But Michelakis, a cardiologist, questioned this belief and began testing DCA, which activates a critical mitochondrial enzyme, as a way to "revive" cancer-affected mitochondria. The results astounded him. Michelakis and his colleagues found that DCA normalized the mitochondrial function in many cancers, showing that their function was actively suppressed by the cancer but was not permanently damaged by it. More importantly, they found that the normalization of mitochondrial function resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth both in test tubes and in animal models. Also, they noted that DCA, unlike most currently used chemotherapies, did not have any effects on normal, non-cancerous tissues.
- "I think DCA can be selective for cancer because it attacks a fundamental process in cancer development that is unique to cancer cells. One of the really exciting things about this compound is that it might be able to treat many different forms of cancer" Michelakis said.
- "Another encouraging thing about DCA is that, being so small, it is easily absorbed in the body, and, after oral intake, it can reach areas in the body that other drugs cannot, making it possible to treat brain cancers, for example. Also, because DCA has been used in both healthy people and sick patients with mitochondrial diseases, researchers already know that it is a relatively non-toxic molecule that can be immediately tested patients with cancer. The results are intriguing because they point to the critical role that mitochondria play: they impart a unique trait to cancer cells that can be exploited for cancer therapy"
(Dario Alteri, Director University of Massachusetts Cancer Center)
- "This preliminary research is encouraging and offers hope to thousands of Canadians and all others around the world who are afflicted by cancer, as it accelerates our understanding of and action around targeted cancer treatments," said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer.
The DCA compound is not patented and not owned by any pharmaceutical company, and, therefore, would likely be an inexpensive drug to administer, says Michelakis, the Canada Research Chair in Pulmonary Hypertension and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program with Capital Health, one of Canada's largest health authorities. However, as DCA is not patented, Michelakis is concerned that it may be difficult to find funding from private investors to test DCA in clinical trials. He is grateful for the support he has already received from publicly funded agencies, such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and he is hopeful such support will continue and allow him to conduct clinical trials of DCA on cancer patients. Michelakis' research is currently funded by the CIHR, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs program, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
ΑΝΑΝΕΩΣΗ 3/2012: Στις αρχές του 2010, δημοσιεύθηκαν αποτελέσματα από την πρώτη κλινική δοκιμή του DCA εξετάζοντας τα αποτελέσματά της σε έναν πολύ μικρό αριθμό ασθενών με γλοιοβλάστωμα. Στη μελέτη αυτή ο Μιχελάκης και η ομάδα του χορήγησαν DCA σε πέντε ασθενείς με προχωρημένο γλοιοβλάστωμα, σε συνδυασμό με χειρουργική επέμβαση, ακτινοθεραπεία και ένα φάρμακο που ονομάζεται τεμοζολομίδη. Στόχος αυτής της μελέτης δεν ήταν να διαπιστωθεί εάν το DCA θα μπορούσε να θεραπεύσει το γλοιοβλάστωμα, αλλά να υπολογίσει την ασφαλέστερη δόση που θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί με ασφάλεια στους ασθενείς. Τέσσερις ασθενείς ήταν ακόμα ζωντανοί μετά από 18 μήνες και τρεις έδειξαν κάποια συρρίκνωση του όγκου τους, αλλά ήταν αδύνατον να καθοριστεί από μια τόσο μικρή μελέτη αν αυτό είχε σχέση με το DCA, τις υπόλοιπες θεραπείες ή συνδυαστικά. Οι ερευνητές υποστήριξαν ότι το φάρμακο μπορεί να στοχεύσει καρκινικά βλαστοκύτταρα και να αποτρέψει την ανάπτυξη αιμοφόρων αγγείων στον όγκο, αν και δεν μπόρεσαν να το αποδείξουν.
ΑΝΑΝΕΩΣΗ 10/2016: Σύμφωνα με το New Scientist, το DCA εξακολουθεί να μην ανταποκρίνεται (7/2016) στις δυνατότητες που του αποδόθηκαν, ενώ τα αρχικά αποτελέσματα φάνηκαν υποσχόμενα.
Υ.Γ: ΘΑ ΘΕΛΑΜΕ ΝΑ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΛΥΤΗ ΥΠΟΣΤΗΡΙΞΗ ΜΑΣ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΠΑΣΧΟΝΤΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΥΣ ΜΑΣ ΝΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΥΧΗΘΟΥΜΕ ΤΑΧΕΙΑ ΙΑΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΝΑ ΤΟΥΣ ΠΑΡΑΚΙΝΗΣΟΥΜΕ ΝΑ ΜΗΝ ΕΓΚΑΤΑΛΕΙΨΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣΠΑΘΕΙΑ.
DCA is an odourless, colourless, inexpensive, relatively non-toxic, small molecule. And researchers at the University of Alberta believe it may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer. Dr. Evangelos Michelakis, a professor at the U of A Department of Medicine, has shown that dichloroacetate (DCA) causes regression in several cancers, including lung, breast, and brain tumors. Michelakis and his colleagues, including post-doctoral fellow Dr. Sebastien Bonnet, have published the results of their research in the journal Cancer Cell. Scientists and doctors have used DCA for decades to treat children with inborn errors of metabolism due to mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondria, the energy producing units in cells, have been connected with cancer since the 1930s, when researchers first noticed that these organelles dysfunction when cancer is present.
Until recently, researchers believed that cancer-affected mitochondria are permanently damaged and that this damage is the result, not the cause, of the cancer. But Michelakis, a cardiologist, questioned this belief and began testing DCA, which activates a critical mitochondrial enzyme, as a way to "revive" cancer-affected mitochondria. The results astounded him. Michelakis and his colleagues found that DCA normalized the mitochondrial function in many cancers, showing that their function was actively suppressed by the cancer but was not permanently damaged by it. More importantly, they found that the normalization of mitochondrial function resulted in a significant decrease in tumor growth both in test tubes and in animal models. Also, they noted that DCA, unlike most currently used chemotherapies, did not have any effects on normal, non-cancerous tissues.
- "I think DCA can be selective for cancer because it attacks a fundamental process in cancer development that is unique to cancer cells. One of the really exciting things about this compound is that it might be able to treat many different forms of cancer" Michelakis said.
- "Another encouraging thing about DCA is that, being so small, it is easily absorbed in the body, and, after oral intake, it can reach areas in the body that other drugs cannot, making it possible to treat brain cancers, for example. Also, because DCA has been used in both healthy people and sick patients with mitochondrial diseases, researchers already know that it is a relatively non-toxic molecule that can be immediately tested patients with cancer. The results are intriguing because they point to the critical role that mitochondria play: they impart a unique trait to cancer cells that can be exploited for cancer therapy"
(Dario Alteri, Director University of Massachusetts Cancer Center)
- "This preliminary research is encouraging and offers hope to thousands of Canadians and all others around the world who are afflicted by cancer, as it accelerates our understanding of and action around targeted cancer treatments," said Dr. Philip Branton, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Cancer.
The DCA compound is not patented and not owned by any pharmaceutical company, and, therefore, would likely be an inexpensive drug to administer, says Michelakis, the Canada Research Chair in Pulmonary Hypertension and Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program with Capital Health, one of Canada's largest health authorities. However, as DCA is not patented, Michelakis is concerned that it may be difficult to find funding from private investors to test DCA in clinical trials. He is grateful for the support he has already received from publicly funded agencies, such as the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), and he is hopeful such support will continue and allow him to conduct clinical trials of DCA on cancer patients. Michelakis' research is currently funded by the CIHR, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canada Research Chairs program, and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
- http://www.thedcasite.com/
- http://www.inspire.com/groups/lung-cancer-survivors/discussion/here-is-the-dca-forum-site/
ΑΝΑΝΕΩΣΗ 3/2012: Στις αρχές του 2010, δημοσιεύθηκαν αποτελέσματα από την πρώτη κλινική δοκιμή του DCA εξετάζοντας τα αποτελέσματά της σε έναν πολύ μικρό αριθμό ασθενών με γλοιοβλάστωμα. Στη μελέτη αυτή ο Μιχελάκης και η ομάδα του χορήγησαν DCA σε πέντε ασθενείς με προχωρημένο γλοιοβλάστωμα, σε συνδυασμό με χειρουργική επέμβαση, ακτινοθεραπεία και ένα φάρμακο που ονομάζεται τεμοζολομίδη. Στόχος αυτής της μελέτης δεν ήταν να διαπιστωθεί εάν το DCA θα μπορούσε να θεραπεύσει το γλοιοβλάστωμα, αλλά να υπολογίσει την ασφαλέστερη δόση που θα μπορούσε να χρησιμοποιηθεί με ασφάλεια στους ασθενείς. Τέσσερις ασθενείς ήταν ακόμα ζωντανοί μετά από 18 μήνες και τρεις έδειξαν κάποια συρρίκνωση του όγκου τους, αλλά ήταν αδύνατον να καθοριστεί από μια τόσο μικρή μελέτη αν αυτό είχε σχέση με το DCA, τις υπόλοιπες θεραπείες ή συνδυαστικά. Οι ερευνητές υποστήριξαν ότι το φάρμακο μπορεί να στοχεύσει καρκινικά βλαστοκύτταρα και να αποτρέψει την ανάπτυξη αιμοφόρων αγγείων στον όγκο, αν και δεν μπόρεσαν να το αποδείξουν.
ΑΝΑΝΕΩΣΗ 10/2016: Σύμφωνα με το New Scientist, το DCA εξακολουθεί να μην ανταποκρίνεται (7/2016) στις δυνατότητες που του αποδόθηκαν, ενώ τα αρχικά αποτελέσματα φάνηκαν υποσχόμενα.
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