Anti-Cancer Compound Could Give Cancer Patients New Hope

(NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - A new anti-cancer compound is showing significant promise in fighting cancer and catching the attention of the investing community.

Propanc Health Group Corporation (OTCBB: PPCH) believes it has found a way to reduce the average tumor weight of pancreatic cancers and ovarian cancers. Based on its research of its proenzyme product PRP, which targets cancer stem cell eradication while sparing normal stem cells, the company has filed a third patent.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are immortal, tumor-initiating cells that have the capacity to self-renew and morph into other cell types. They can be found in many solid tumors and, given their stem cell-like properties, are thought to be the basis for tumor initiation, development, metastasis and recurrence.

Through its research partners at the Universities of Jaen and Granada in Spain, experiments were conducted using isolated CSCs from patients, comparing the behavior of the cells pre- and post-treatment with PRP by examining the genetic pathways that control the cells.

By using several experimental techniques, the university researchers were able to confirm several key EMT (epithelial to mesenchymal transition) genes from CSCs are significantly reduced. The EMT, say the partners, occurs when cells gain migratory and invasive properties to become stem cell-like. As well as being associated with normal processes within the body, the EMT also occurs in the initiation of metastasis for cancer progression.

"After conducting these experiments, PRP is quite dramatically suppressing the metastatic potential of CSCs by regulating the EMT process. This is relevant because in CSCs, the EMT machinery is working very hard to maintain their metastatic potential compared with 'normal' cancer cells," said Dr. Macarena Peran, lecturer and laboratory manager at the University of Jaen.

Dr. Peran added that, "because the EMT seems to be suppressed in several different ways, there is more than enough to justify developing a new compound, which usually requires only one pathway to be inhibited." The results, said Dr. Peran, are encouraging.

James Nathanielsz, chief executive officer of Propanc, agrees.

"Not only have we now shown that PRP halts a fundamental mechanism by which cancer grows and spreads in order to reduce the risk of relapse, but we can now turn our attention toward developing new compounds that enhance these clinical effects."

To learn more, please visit www.propanc.com.