SYDNEY: A childhood leukemia can be treated without administering chemo. Children undergo ‘chemo therapy’ to blast the aggressive T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
Side effects to chemotherapy are well known. The short-term side effects ranges from nausea to hair loss and immune system complications. However, children due to their continuous physical growth do have the possibility of long-term implications from chemo about which we don’t know much.
Charles de Bock from the Children’s Cancer Institute in Sydney has discovered that the use of an old Alzheimer’s drug could allow the treatment of T-cell leukemia without any toxicity or side effects on children.
‘This breakthrough in cancer research became possible by a chance corridor conversation with this Alzheimer’s researcher’ Dr de Bock said.
‘Everyone’s been trying to target this particular (genetic) pathway for a long time. Cancer researchers don’t always talk to brain researchers and neuro-scientists because we’re not at the same conferences,’ discloses Dr Bock. (Agencies)
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