Canadian scientists discover new molecules that Kill Cancer

A new family of molecules that kill cancer cells and protect healthy cells could be used to treat a number of different cancers, including cervical, breast, ovarian and lung cancers.The researchers studied the process of DNA damage using a sort of molecular filming technique called femto-second time-resolved laser spectroscopy. The technique is like a high-speed camera, which uses two pulses of light: one to start a reaction, and the other to monitor the way the molecules react. This technique let researchers watch how molecules interact in real-time, revealing how cells become cancerous.
This potential new field is being dubbed femtomedicine (FMD).
"We know DNA damage is the initial and crucial step in the development of cancer," said Professor Qing-Bin Lu, lead author of the study from the University of Waterloo, Canada. "With the FMD approach we can go back to the very beginning to find out what causes DNA damage in the first place, then mutation, then cancer. FMD is promising as an efficient, economical and rational approach for discovering new drugs, as it can save resources required to synthesize and screen a large library of compounds."When the FMD compounds enter a cancer cell, they react strongly and form reactive radicals, which cause the cell to kill itself. When the FMD compounds enter a healthy cell, the cell starts to increase the amount of a protective molecule called glutathione (GSH) in the cell. This protects the cell against chemical toxins, so it is not damaged.