Medical breakthrough to 'outsmart' cancer cells
An Australian researcher believes he has found a way to outsmart and kill potentially deadly cancer cells, with children likely to be among the first to benefit from the breakthrough.
Sydney researcher Professor Peter Gunning has developed a new class of drugs that for the first time cause cancer cells to self-destruct.
So far, the treatment has worked against the childhood cancer neuroblastoma and on melanoma.
But that's been in animal tests.
Prof Gunning hopes to start trials on desperately ill children with advanced neuroblastoma within two years.
Zoe Emin, has spent half her life fighting neuroblastoma - a difficult treat childhood cancer.
After 15 months of intensive treatment, the two-and-a-half year old is now in remission.
The new idea is welcome news for Zoe's parents Alison and Erin.
"It's just a huge breakthrough for cancer in general - especially this disease of Zoe's," Erin told 7News.
"It's fantastic news," Alison added.
Prof Gunning's concept dates back to the 1970s when scientists had high hopes they could develop a drug to attack the structure of the cancer cell.
But treatments proved toxic to other parts of the body.
The main problem is that cancer cells have the same basic structure as the heart and muscle, says Dr Justine Stehn, who works at the University of New South Wales oncology unit headed by Prof Gunning and is lead author of a paper published in the journal Cancer Research.
"This truly has been my life's work, says Prof Gunning, who started his project on April Fool's Day in 1980 just as colleagues around the world were giving up.
It took a lot of basic science and gruelling laboratory work but Prof Gunning and his team recognised there was a key part of the cancer cell structure that could be safely targeted.
"We've been surprised by the potential of this treatment. It is likely to work against all cancers.
"The affect on the cancer cell can be observed in the laboratory. It is similar to watching demolishers implode a building on TV."
He says he is grateful to the Kids' Cancer Project which funded the project.
"This kind of research has a high failure rate and can be done only with philanthropic support."
He hopes his work will help dozens of children in Australia and thousands around the world who do not respond to existing neuroblastoma treatments.
"Cancer is complex," he says.
"We have developed an in-principle approach that will complement other strategies. There is no magic bullet."
Kids' Cancer Project CEO Peter Neilson says the research "opens up a door on something the pharmaceutical industry and science gave up on years ago.
