Endostatin also effective on head and neck cancers

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 12 Aug 2003 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for:
'Endostatin also effective on head and neck cancers'

Patient / Public:not yet rated

Healthcare Prof:not yet rated


Researchers at Ohio State found that endostatin has a dual effect on head and neck cancer cells - the compound prevented the cells from developing new blood vessels and also hindered the mechanism cancer cells use to migrate throughout the body and invade other tissues.

Head and neck cancers originate on the epithelium - the layer of tissue covering the outermost surfaces of the body, including the skin and mucus membranes. Kaposi's sarcoma tumors arise from the endothelium, the cells that line blood vessels.

"The vast majority of endostatin studies have concentrated on endostatin's effects against endothelial cells, and haven't focused on the drug's anti-tumorigenic possibilities," said Susan Mallery, the study's lead author and a professor in the Ohio State College of Dentistry's department of oral and maxillofacial surgery and pathology.

"We wanted to explore other options for endostatin use," she said.

After getting promising laboratory results with treating oral cavity tumor cells taken from men with oral cancer with endostatin, Mallery is suggesting the possibility of an implanted drug delivery system, one that could deliver endostatin directly to the site of a tumor after it was surgically removed.

"About half of all people with head and neck cancers die as a result of local disease recurrence," Mallery said, adding that such cancers account for about 7 percent of all cancers in the United States. "Another major concern is patient compliance with follow-up treatment after the original tumor is removed.

"It's possible that one day doctors could treat these patients with an implanted delivery device that dispenses a sustained, therapeutic drug concentration right where it is needed the most - where the tumor was," she continued. "Such a treatment option not only provides a constant therapeutic drug level, it also eliminates concerns regarding patient compliance."

In the current study, endostatin treatment reduced by half the number of invasive head and neck cancer cells, and also reduced the number of cells capable of migration by one-quarter.

Migrating cells receive some sort of chemical signal before moving in a directed fashion throughout the body. Invasive cells migrate, but they also produce an enzyme that actually digests the membranes of the cells they're trying to take over.

The research appears in a recent issue of the journal Anticancer Research.
http://www.iiar-anticancer.org/research/research_index.htm

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject.
There are no references listed for this article.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
n.p. "Endostatin also effective on head and neck cancers." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Aug. 2003. Web.
26 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/4111.php>

APA
n.p. (2003, August 12). "Endostatin also effective on head and neck cancers." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/4111.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.



Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Endostatin also effective on head and neck cancers'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.


Cancer / Oncology

What is Cancer?

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. Read more...

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Cancer News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Cancer / Oncology Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »