Thalidomide-related drug kills cancer cells

A new drug that is biologically linked to Thalidomide destroys cancerous cells by forcing them to commit suicide according to research by a team at St George’s Hospital Medical School, Tooting, London. This work, published today in the journal Cancer Research, adds to the recent study by the same team showing how similar drugs can reduce new blood vessel development, starving growing tumours of nutrients. Both results suggest these new compounds could be powerful anti-cancer agents.

By attempting to harness the positive biological effects of Thalidomide, two groups of compounds have been defined – IMiDs (immunomodulatory drugs) or SelCIDs (selective cytokine inhibitory drugs). Recent research has shown both IMiDs and SelCIDs reduce new blood vessel development. IMiDs can also help the immune system to recognise and fight the tumour cells and may kill some types of cancer cell.

Now research carried out in Professor Dalgleish’s laboratory in the Division of Oncology at St George’s Medical School, has found promising evidence that a newly designed compound from the SelCID class has the ability to kill a variety of tumour cells by stopping their growth and inducing suicide. This is different to other SelCIDs tested and could lead to the development of a new class of anti-cancer agent. Dr Blake Marriott, author of the study, funded by Celgene Corporation, says: “We were surprised at the ability of this class of drug to kill cancer cells but leave normal cells apparently unaffected.”

Thalidomide gained notoriety in the early 1960s when doctors discovered that it caused birth defects when taken by pregnant women trying to counter the effects of morning sickness. However, since then thalidomide and similar drugs have been shown to be effective in the treatment of a number of incurable diseases, including some cancers.

“It is important to emphasise that this novel compound, and SelCIDs in general, are totally different to thalidomide. Also, the most likely benefits will be when tailor-made combinations of these drugs are used, perhaps in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs,” said Dr Marriott.

Two forms of IMiD are already being used in early clinical trials for treating advanced cancer, one at St George’s and another at Guy’s Hospital, also in London. Although more research needs to be done on SelCIDs before clinical trails for cancer can begin, it is hoped that trails could start within two years.