An active ingredient in eye drops that were being developed for the treatment of a form of eye disease has shown promise for treating an aggressive form of blood cancer. Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of Cambridge, University of Nottingham and their collaborators have found that this compound, which targets an essential cancer gene, could kill leukaemia cells without harming non-leukemic blood cells. The results, published in Nature Communications reveal a potential new treatment approach for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer with a poor prognosis.
Joint leader of the project, programme member Dr George Vassiliou said:
“We have discovered that inhibiting a key gene with a compound being developed for an eye condition can stop the growth of an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukaemia without harming healthy cells. This shows promise as a potential approach for treating this aggressive leukaemia in humans.”
Read the full press release on the Sanger Insititute's website.
