Cancer treatment pill; Alberta researchers with new experiment

 

 

Imagine that you can treat and cure cancer by taking a pill every day. A group of researchers at the University of Alberta is trying to make this a reality. Professor Luc Berthieu and his team have been trying to find a cure for cancer for decades. Berthieu said that they are trying to find a new way to kill cancer cells with minimal side effects. He said that clinical trials are underway.

The drug that has now been discovered blocks the metabolism of the cell. It was first tested in cells, then in mice, and then in cancer patients who only have a few months to live. The pill, called zelenirstat, can be taken at home like a regular medicine. There are no hospital visits, no injections, and it's a very easy treatment, says Berthieu.

It's water-soluble, so it goes straight into the bloodstream and tries to kill tumors. The pill was first tested at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton. It was then given to cancer hospitals across Canada for testing, including the Beesey Cancer Care Centre, Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital, and the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal.