"....Methotrexate is similar to a normal molecule called folinic acid,
which is required for copying DNA. The drug prevents cells from making
and repairing DNA - a process needed for cancer growth. It was one of
the first chemotherapy drugs to be invented in the 1940s and is still
used to treat a number of cancers today. But until now, it has not
commonly been used to treat people with HNPCC.
Professor Alan Ashworth,
who led this Cancer Research UK-funded study at the ICR, said: "The
MSH2 gene plays a vital role in repairing DNA damage but if it is
faulty, mistakes accumulate in cells and increase the risk of cancer
developing.
"What's exciting about methotrexate is that it
selectively destroys the cells lacking the MSH2 function. This
indicates that it may make an excellent treatment for patients with the
genetic alteration. With our colleagues at The Royal Marsden Hospital,
we have set up clinical trials to test this."...cont'd
An ovarian cancer blog which includes quality resource materials: education, research, social networking, genetics and (some) healthcare politics.
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