TIC10: an efficacious antitumor therapeutic agent
A protein known as TRAIL (tumour-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has long been a target for cancer researchers, looking for a less toxic drugs against cancer than chemotherapy. According to oncologist Wafik El-Deiry from Pennsylvania State University in Hershey, all people with functional immune systems use TRAIL to keep tumors from spreading, so boosting this will not be as toxic as conventional chemotherapy. Researchers from this group have discovered that a small molecule, called TIC10, can kick-start tumor-destroying systems in mice, by activating the gene encoding TRAIL.
The chemical structure of the TIC10 molecule.
Their experiments (which were performed in mice) showed that TIC10 had potent effects against different tumours, including lung, colon, lymphatic, and breast cancer. It was very effective against specific types of brain cancer, glioblastomas, which normally are difficult to treat. The efficiency of TIC10 may partly be explained by its size and compactness, enabling it to cross the blood-brain barrier that normally protects the brain against hazardous agents and microbes.
Although the results in mice seem promising, TIC10 needs to be tested in clinical trials to ensure safety and efficiency in humans, and this will for sure take years. Many years.