development of TRAIL related small molecule advances-- crosses BBB, causes tumor cell

[Lani]

death


On the TRAIL of Cancer

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand -- TRAIL, for short – is a protein that induces cell death in many cancers. Researchers have been trying to use recombinant versions of the protein as therapy but have run into roadblocks, including short half-life and poor stability of the substance.

But a small molecule that turns on the natural protein may overcome those obstacles, according to researchers led by Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, of Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa. Dubbed TRAIL-inducing compound 10, or TIC10, the substance led to sustained regression of several types of human tumors in mice. In one experiment, a single dose of the compound doubled the survival of animals with human glioblastoma grafts.

In the mice, the researchers reported in Science Translational Medicine, the compound appeared to be safe even at doses four times as high as those needed for a therapeutic effect. Moreover, its activity lasted for days, while recombinant TRAIL had a half-life of about 30 minutes.