A breakthrough in cancer research has given hope to millions as scientists at City of Hope, a leading cancer research and treatment center in the US, have created a molecule that "kills" cancer.
The revolutionary pill captures and destroys all solid cancer tumors, leaving healthy cells unharmed. This makes it an important treatment in cancer therapy.
The AOH1996 molecule works by targeting a cancerous variant of PCNA, a protein critical to growing tumors.
Developed over the past two decades, the AOH1996 molecule has been effective in preclinical research for the treatment of breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin and lung cancer.
The study, published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology, tested the protein in over 70 cancer cell lines. The results indicated that AOH1996 selectively killed cancer cells by "interrupting the normal cycle of cell reproduction." In the next phase, the molecule will be tested in humans.
This innovative therapy is the culmination of two decades of research. Named after Anna Olivia Healey (AOH), a young girl born in 1996 who tragically lost her battle with cancer, AOH1996 is a testament to the persistence of scientists to find a breakthrough treatment for this relentless disease.
