This article was mainly about a drug used against tapeworm infections. The drug is now effective on colon cancer metastasis the compound silences a gene that triggers the formation of metastases in colon cancer. Professor Ulrike Stein and her research group made this discovery in collaboration with Professor Robert H. Shoemaker of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Frederick, Maryland. Plans have been made to conduct a clinical to help those in need. Colon cancer is a common type of malignancy in which there is uncontrolled growth of the cells that line the inside of the colon or rectum, it is the most commonly known diseases in all of western countries. 20 percent of the colon cancer patients already have metastases at diagnosis and in about one third of the patients, metastasis occurs despite successful initial treatment.
Scientists have known for several years that the gene S100A4/metastasin can initiate colon cancer metastasis. Five years ago Professor Stein, Professor Schlag and, Professor Walter Birchmeier (MDC), showed how this gene is regulated. They found that the beta-catenin gene, when mutant, activates this S100A4/metastasin gene, thus triggering colon cancer metastasis. Afterwards, the scientist tried to figure out way to block the metastasin gene; they found 1280 compounds in which they were searching for. niclosamide, a drug until now approved for use to treat intestinal parasite infections from tapeworms. The researchers want to conduct clinical trials to find out whether the compound is also effective in patients with metastasizing colon cancer.
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