A team of researchers has developed experimental therapeutic pills that prevent cancer tumor cells from repairing themselves, leading to their death. The researchers administered daily pills, referred to as certifiable, to 67 patients with various types of cancer who did not respond to traditional treatments. In the initial trial, more than half of the participants experienced a halt in tumor growth, while the development of cancer in others stopped for at least 3 years.
The research team believes that the drug could be combined with immune-enhancing cancer treatments to increase its efficacy, as it works to train the immune system to identify and kill cancer cells. Dr. Magnus Dillon, a clinical scientist at the British Cancer Research Institute, states that the drug destroys cancer DNA, leading to tumor inflammation and stimulating the immune system to attack cancer.
Notably, one patient participating in the study, George Perry (85 years old), suffered from skin cancer on his lower lip that spread to his throat. He had undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to remove bone from his lower jaw. However, nothing stopped the disease's progression until he received the certifiable treatment, resulting in George's cancer stabilizing without any side effects.
Dillon mentions that the next step will be combining the certifiable drug with immunotherapy medications, adding: "We are still in the early stages, but it seems that this could be a really interesting treatment."
