Hope for cystic fibrosis sufferers as cancer drug is found to repair almost a third of lung damage
By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 9:39 AM on 07th December 2009
Breakthrough: A cancer drug, that has been found to repair lung damage caused by cystic fibrosis, could bring hope to sufferers like Alex Stobbs.
Lung damage caused by cystic fibrosis has been repaired by a cancer drug in a breakthrough that offers hope to tens of thousands.
In tests, the drug, which was developed to treat blood cell cancers, reversed almost a third of the harm done to cells by CF.
In time, it could be used to ease symptoms and improve quality of life for the 70,000 sufferers around the world.
Researcher Professor William Balch said: 'We are very excited by these results.
'Because we came at the problem from a new perspective these findings have the potential to be game-changing.'
His findings on the drug suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid were published in journal Nature Chemical Biology.
'The results are very promising,' Professor Balch continued.
'We know that cystic fibrosis individuals with 15 to 30 percent of normal cellular function, as can occur with certain mutations, have milder cases of the disease and a more normal lifestyle than patients carrying a severe mutation.
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While it IS "hopeful," it sounds several logical leaps ahead in the future and, as yet, seems less than totally effective in the small group of patients who have been tried on the approach.
So unfortunately there's still a ways to go, and maybe a long way. Let's hope their funding holds up.