Summary:

A new direction for both basic and clinical cancer research involves the study of apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death. While traditional cancer research has focused on why cancer cells seemingly proliferate in an uncontrollable fashion, new research has determined that the problem with cancer cells may instead be that the natural internal maturation pathways common to normal cells are in someway suppressed in cancerous cells. Therefore, cancer cells are able to survive longer than normal cells. Based on these new findings, the identification and development of new compounds which will selectively stimulate apoptosis offers a significant new approach to combating cancer.

Ohio State researchers have isolated compounds useful for inducing apoptosis in proliferative cells, including but not limited to cancer cells. The compounds are further useful for treating, inhibiting, and delaying the onset of cancer in mammals, and especially in humans. Cancers that these compounds work particularly well against include leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma, and breast cancer. Surprisingly, the compounds of the present invention are able to induce apoptosis in cancer cells independent of the level of Bcl-2 expression and p53 functional status, which means that the inventive compounds are potent even against cancers that are androgen-independent, such as hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Potential Applications:

Treatment of leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, renal cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma, and breast cancer.

Advantages:

Can treat cancer cells that are androgen-independent or are resistant to current treatment.