Washington, Oct 3: Rochester University researchers will soon test a compound found in a daisy-like plant, Feverfew or Bachelor’s Button, for its ability to attack cancer stem cells in humans.

Imethylamino-parthenolide (DMAPT), a form of parthenolide (PTL) has already shown in laboratory studies that it can attack leukaemia in its roots, and human trials are soon to take place.

DMAPT is a water-soluble agent that scientists believe will selectively target leukaemia at the stem-cell level, where the malignancy is born. This is significant because standard chemotherapy does not strike deep enough to kill cancer at the roots, thus resulting in relapses. Even the most progressive new therapies, such as Gleevec, are effective only to a degree because they do not reach the root of the cancer.

“The Rochester team has been leading the investigation of this promising therapy on the deadly blood cancer for nearly five years. And to bring it from a laboratory concept to patient studies in that time is very fast progress in the drug development world,” said Craig T. Jordan, Ph.D., senior author of the Blood article and director of Translational Research for Hematologic Malignancies at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

“DMAPT appears to be unique. It’s mechanism of action is to boost the cancer cell’s reactive oxygen species – which is like pushing the stress level of the cell over the edge – to the point where the cell can no long protect itself and dies,” said Monica L. Guzman, Ph.D., the lead researcher on the DMAPT project and a senior instructor at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Leukaemia is different from most cancers and particularly hard to eradicate because leukaemia stem cells lie dormant. Standard cancer treatments are designed to seek out actively dividing cells. But in studies so far, DMAPT can kill both dormant cells and cells that are busy dividing, Guzman said

Rochester investigators looked at whether DMAPT could eliminate leukaemia in donated human cells, and in mice and dogs. In all cases, DMAPT induced rapid death of AML stem and progenitor cells, without harming healthy blood cells.

DMAPT also has shown potential as a treatment for breast and prostate cancer, melanoma, and multiple myeloma, Guzman said, although those studies have only been conducted in cell cultures to date.

“Once we begin seeing evidence from the clinical trials, it will give us more insight into the pharmacological properties of DMAPT and it will be easier to figure out its potential for other cancers,” Guzman said.

“The scientists will soon test the compounds effectiveness in human trials with a dozen adult volunteers who’ve been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) or other types of blood or lymph cancers,” Jordan said.

The study is published in the journal, Blood. (ANI)