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The U.S. National Cancer Institute studies new compounds

May 31, 2004

Anti-cancerous products elaborated by the Centre for Applied Pharmacobiological Research have proved to be effective in 60 cases of tumours.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has become involved in the study of a number of anti-cancerous compounds formulated by the Centre for Applied Pharmacobiological Research (CIFA) at the University of Navarre. After an experimentation stage in the laboratory, carried out at the Pamplona campus the North American centre is undertaking a study of the activity of in vivo molecules subsequent to presenting important in vitro work, in 60 representative tumours.

The prestigious North American institution has selected, amongst a multitude of projects from all over the world, those which they consider the most promising in order to study them in more detail in vivo. The aim is to provide society with the most efficacious products developed by researchers in this speciality worldwide.

The compounds formulated at the University of Navarre were chosen for their potency and for their selectivity in cancer cells. Only highly interesting products with potential, approved by expert committees of the NCI, pass through to these stages and, moreover, at a very high cost economically speaking and which require great dedication, time and scientific effort.

The project has the support of the Government of Navarre and the Carlos III Health Research Fund in its cancer section. Universities from France, Uruguay and Peru have also participated.

Without side-effects

Moreover, the research group at the Medications R+D Unit at CIFA have identified another dozen compounds which will enable the detailing and resolution of aspects related to side-effects and to bioavailability (capacity to facilitate access to the damaged zone only).

After demonstrating the anti-cancerous activity of the compounds studied by the United States NCI, the biological mechanisms are being studied, i.e. the interactions produced in the organism with these compounds and that justify the activity found. Amongst the bodies responsible for determining this activity, there is the Instituto de Biolog'­a Molecular del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient'­ficas (CSIC) and other departments of the University of Navarre.

The challenge is to ensure that the new anti-cancerous compounds do not have undesirable side-effects.

Elhuyar Fundazioa