According to Daily Mail’s report, scientists at Imperial College London have carried out tests of a new drug in mice to find a cure for one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, glioblastoma (GBM).

The research results verified the hypotheses of the researchers, who argued that reducing levels of arginine – a proteinogenic amino acid that encourages cancer cell growth – can weaken the effects of suppressor cells and strengthen the mice’s T-cells. The scientists said that “the treatment combined with radiotherapy caused no significant side effects and cured the mice of their tumours”, making it an important anti-cancer strategy.

The findings of the study are part of the research project “PROgrammable, cancer TargEted and Cancer responsive therapeutics and Theranostics” (“PROTECT”), which is being carried out with the interdisciplinary collaboration of research teams from abroad (Imperial College, UK; University of Florence, Italy; Stanford University, USA). The project, with the Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry (Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina), Mr. Andreas Tzakos as Scientific Coordinator, was funded within the framework of the 1st Call for HFRI Research Projects for the support of faculty members and researchers and the procurement of high-value research equipment.

The publication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation is available here.

Project’s website: https://bac.chem.uoi.gr/protect/index.html

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