New cancer drug '10 times more potent'

 Scientists have created a new drug that they claim is 10 times more potent than current cancer-fighting drugs.

In a new study, University of Missouri (MU) researchers have taken an existing drug that is being developed for use in fighting certain types of cancer, added a special structure to it, and created a more potent, efficient weapon against cancer.

“Over the past decade, we have seen an increasing interest in using carboranes in drug design,” said Mark W Lee Junior, assistant professor of chemistry in College of Arts and Science, in a statement.

“Carboranes are clusters of three elements - boron, carbon and hydrogen. Carboranes don’t fight cancer directly, but they aid in the ability of a drug to bind more tightly to its target, creating a more potent mechanism for destroying the cancer cells,” Lee explained.

Lee and his research team used carboranes to build new drugs designed to shut off a cancer cell’s energy production, which is vital for the cell’s survival.All cells produce energy through complex, multi-step processes.

The key to an effective drug is targeting the process that cancer cells depend on more than healthy cells.

By increasing the binding strength of a drug, a smaller dose is required, minimising side effects and increasing the effectiveness of the therapy.Lee found that the drug is able to bind 10 times more powerfully.

“The reason why these drugs bind stronger to their target is because carboranes exploit a unique and very strong form of hydrogen bonding, the strongest form of interactions for drugs,” Lee said.Lee said that this discovery also would lead to further uses for the drug.

“Too often, after radiation or chemotherapy, cancer cells repair themselves and reinvade the body. This drug not only selectively shuts off the energy production for the cancer cells, but it also inhibits the processes that allow those cancer cells to repair themselves,” he said.