Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Forgotten Ulcer Drug Energizes Stem Cells

Posted by timothy on from the hey-you-wake-up dept.

Soychemist writes "When cancer patients get a heavy dose of chemotherapy and radiation, it can destroy their bone marrow. Umbilical cords contain stem cells that can regenerate the immune systems of young patients, but usually there are not enough of them to heal an adult. Len Zon, a doctor at Children's Hospital in Boston surmised that there must be a chemical that can make the cord blood stem cells divide, so that there will be enough of them to treat adult patients. He tested 2,500 chemicals on zebrafish embryos, and found one that does the trick. It was once on its way to becoming an ulcer medication, and now doctors are testing it on cord blood units that will be given to leukemia patients."

5 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Aspartame by WilyCoder · · Score: 4, Informative

    Aspartame was originally an ulcer drug.

  2. Clinical Trial Link by drunken_boxer777 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The "drug" is prostaglandin e2 (PGE2), and the link for the clinical trial (from TFA) is here. This is a Phase I clinical trial, which means it's all about safety. (There are secondary endpoints that are related to efficacy.)

    I said "drug" because PGE2 is a fatty acid derivative that naturally occurs in the body. The patient won't be exposed to a meaningful amount of PGE2, as it is used to make the cord blood stem cells divide.

    What's interesting and exciting is that while it's not that different from current treatments, it will require fewer source cells per patient allowing for more people to be treated. Furthermore, the stem cells implanted into the patient will not be genetically modified, unlike a lot of the stem cells currently derived from adult tissues. So the patient has no drug exposure and no modified cells. If it works, it'll be pretty cool.

    1. Re:Clinical Trial Link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      No it's not called "prostaglandin e2". Prostaglandin e2, also known as dinoprostone, is already marketed under the names "Cervidil", "Prostin E2" and "Propess".

      Drugs that are still on trial don't have names, only numbers.

    2. Re:Clinical Trial Link by omris · · Score: 2, Informative

      Drugs can be on trial and named. Like dinoprostone, which is marketed for one application, but is in a clinical trial for another application. Happens all the time.

      Prostaglandin e2 is a perfectly valid name for that particular molecule, as is dinoprostone, 16, 16 dimethyl-prostaglandin E2, Cervidil... all perfectly valid things to call the compound in question. Each name just uses a different naming convention.

  3. Re:What's the drug? by drunken_boxer777 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The drug is prostaglandin e2 (PGE2). The list you are referring to is mostly a list of drugs that will be administered in addition to untreated cells (placebo group) or PGE2-treated cells (study group) to prevent graft vs host disease and otherwise manage the patient. These people are sick and need a lot of other drugs.