Biomedical scientists develop new drug screening technique
Monday 15th March 2010
A team of biomedical scientists have developed a technique which they say helps them screen cancer drugs more effectively.
The group, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, have devised a method of testing that more closely simulates real-world conditions in which tumours may develop and they published their findings in the journal Nature Medicine.
According to the author of the study Constantine Mitsiades, for every 100 potential anti-cancer therapies administered in patients in clinical trials only around eight prove effective and safe enough to win Food and Drug Administration approval.
The expert claimed that traditional approaches have shortcomings.
He said: "In the human body, tumour cells don't grow in isolation, but come in contact with a wide variety of non-malignant cells."
This is something that clinical trials have failed to take account of, he suggested.
According to Cancer Research UK, there are over 200 types of the disease and more than one in three people will develop some form of it over their lifetimes.
Written by Martin Lambert
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