Scottish Breast Cancer drug offers new treatment

A new breast cancer treatment which destroys tumors more effectively than existing medicines could be on the horizon, according to a “promising” study.Edinburgh University scientists have pinpointed a chemical compound called eCF506 that is highly effective at blocking the growth of breast cancer cells in the laboratory.The compound targets a molecule called Src tyrosine kinase, which is vital for the growth and spread of breast cancer cells.
Drugs that target the same molecule are already being tested in clinical trials but researchers claim this compound could be more effective and produce fewer side effects as it is more selective in the molecules it targets.
Dr Asier Unciti-Broceta, who led the study at the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, said: “eCF506 is the first drug candidate of a second generation of Src inhibitors that will not only help to understand the complexity of some cancers but also the development of safer combination therapies.”