PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Researchers discover treatment for rare blood cancer

2014-01-30
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Patrick McGeer
mcgeerpl@mail.ubc.ca
604-822-7377
University of British Columbia
Researchers discover treatment for rare blood cancer University of British Columbia researchers have discovered a potential new treatment for a rare blood cancer that may also point the way to treating other more common diseases.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinemia (PNH) is a rare form of cancer characterized by episodic rupture of red blood cells and the danger of blood clots forming in the vascular system. The condition results in red blood cells becoming vulnerable to attacks by the body's own complement immune system and can lead to complications such as anemia, kidney disease and fatal thromboses.

In a clinical study published today in PLOS ONE, the UBC team, led by Prof. Patrick McGeer, applied aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATA), a non-toxic drug, to blood samples of five patients with PNH who were undergoing standard treatment with antibodies administered through biweekly infusions.

The researchers found the addition of ATA restored blood cell resistance to complement system attacks, while the antibodies alone did not offer full protection.

"Our study suggests that ATA could offer more complete protection as an oral treatment for PNH while eliminating the need for infusions," says Prof. McGeer, professor emeritus in UBC's Department of Psychiatry. "PNH is a disease that may happen to anyone through a chance mutation, and if nature were to design a perfect fix for this mutation, it would be ATA."

McGeer adds that since many diseases are caused or worsened by an overactive complement immune system, the discovery of ATA's effectiveness in this rare disease could have wide-reaching implications for conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease, macular degeneration, ALS, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The team is now proceeding with further testing and McGeer hopes the treatment may be available in clinics within a year.

INFORMATION:

BACKGROUND | TREATMENT FOR RARE CANCER

PNH and ATA

The Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinemia (PNH) mutation leaves cells deficient in two critical proteins – called protectin and decay accelerating factor – that in healthy individuals shield the red blood cells from self-attack by the complement system. Aurin tricarboxylic acid (ATA) works by blocking this self-attack and thus compensating for this deficiency.

Study team

Members of the study team were Dr. Sujaatha Nariyanan of the British Columbia Cancer Agency, and Drs Moonhee Lee, Edith McGeer and Patrick McGeer of UBC's Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Scientists shine spotlight on Herdwicks' origins

2014-01-30
A new study highlights surprising differences between Herdwick sheep and their closest neighbouring UK upland breeds. The research, led by The Sheep Trust, a national charity based at the University of York, is ...

Sponge bacteria, a chemical factory

2014-01-30
Sponges are unique beings: they are invertebrates that live in symbiosis with sometimes hundreds of different types of bacteria; similar to lichens which are a biocoenosis of algae and fungi. "Put simply, many ...

Improved ultrasound imaging provides alternate way to visualize tumors

2014-01-30
CHAPEL HILL, NC – While ultrasound ...

Neanderthal lineages excavated from modern human genomes

2014-01-30
A substantial fraction of the Neanderthal genome persists in modern human populations. A new approach applied to analyzing whole-genome ...

More heart attack patients being treated more quickly using PCI , national audit finds

2014-01-30
Expansion in the use of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) – the minimally ...

'Rogue' asteroids may be the norm

2014-01-30
CAMBRIDGE, MA -- To get an idea of how the early solar system may have formed, scientists often look to asteroids. These relics of rock and dust represent what today's planets may have been before they differentiated ...

When populations collide

2014-01-30
More than thirty thousand years ago, Homo sapiens migrating out of Africa began encountering Neanderthals, a lineage that had diverged from modern humans hundreds of thousands ...

TRMM satellite peers at rainfall in developing low near Mozambique

2014-01-30
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 29-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Rob Gutro robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center TRMM satellite peers at rainfall in developing low near Mozambique VIDEO: The TRMM satellite flew above a tropical low (91S) in the Mozambique Channel on Jan. 28, 2014, ...

NASA-NOAA satellite sees Tropical Cyclone 11P headed for Queensland

2014-01-30
The NASA-NOAA Satellite known as Suomi NPP flew over newborn Tropical Cyclone 11P in the Coral Sea and captured a visible image of the newly developed storm as it moves toward a landfall in Queensland, ...

UA researchers trace bat killer's path

2014-01-30
As North American bats face a death toll approaching 7 million, University of Akron scientists reveal new clues about their killer, White Nose Syndrome, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Can Hayabusa2 touchdown? New study reveals space mission’s target asteroid is tinier and faster than thought

Millisecond windows of time may be key to how we hear, study finds

Graz University of Technology opens up new avenues in lung cancer research with digital cell twin

Exoplanets are not water worlds

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

Cosmic crime scene: White dwarf found devouring Pluto-like icy world

Major report tackles Covid’s cardiovascular crisis head-on

A third of licensed GPs in England not working in NHS general practice

ChatGPT “thought on the fly” when put through Ancient Greek maths puzzle

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

[Press-News.org] Researchers discover treatment for rare blood cancer