First-ever RNA drug targets prostate cancer cells with no side effects

A research team at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C reports first-ever experimental gene-based drug capable to "trick" its route into prostate cancer cells and kill them.

From this short description this drug seems to be am intelligent one. It uses a sort of genetic material called "targeting RNA" when targets to enter cancer cells and another one, "silencing RNA," to stop the expression of the protein which keeps prostate cancer cells alive (the name of this protein is PLK1)

The findings were very good and were published in the August issue of the Journal Nature Biotechnology. Previous experiments were non specific as the drug targeted all cells in the body. By consequence some unwanted side effects resulted. This time the drug targets only prostate cancer cells in mice and shrank the size of their tumors by half generating no side effects. Tumors in control mice that did not receive the drug continued to grow.

Before to be used in humans, much more research is required, but the very important is that this drug works fine not causing side effects.






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