Indian born scientist puts advanced treatment for ovarian cancer

Dr Anil Sood, an Indian born scientist and a Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Cancer Biology in the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has identified a protein interleukin-8(IL-8), as a potential curative target in treating ovarian cancer patients.

The discovery led him to develop a short interfering RNA product that cleaves IL-8 expression thus limiting the blood vessels and reducing the size of the tumour. As the protein IL-8 causes tomour to grow uncontrollably.

According to the article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Dr Sood explained that IL-8 expression is associated with advanced tumour stage and generally responsible for earlier death of ovarian cancer patients.

The research done on mice showed that a short interfering RNA is capable of cleaving IL-8 strands which in turn reduces the blood supply and lessen the size of tumour by 32-52 percent.

Also that a chemotherapy with a combination IL-8 interfering RNA and docetaxel, a taxane, reduced the tumour size by 90-98 percent, thus giving it a solid base that IL-8 Interfering RNA can prove beneficial in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

“This comprehensive analysis - with human data, animal data and lab experiments to highlight the molecular mechanisms involved - helps us develop the new targets needed for a more effective approach against ovarian cancer,” Dr. Sood said.

IL-8 is responsible of many type of tumour growth by the process of angiogenesis i.e. formation new blood vessel and through metastasis the condition where a cancer cell spread in other organ of the body.

Hence this study may provide deep insight to the treatment of cancer where IL is over expressed.

Ovarian cancer is also the fifth leading cause of death in women every year. Usually happens to women over the age of 50 but can affect younger women too. There is no fixed screening test for ovarian cancer hence it is hard to detect.

Recently a Study published in Lancet showed that the women who used contraceptives pills have lesser chance of ovarian cancer. Women who used oral contraceptives for 10 years had about a 60% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer.

This study will help reduce the causes of Ovarian cancer death.