Cancer Tablet in Rs 100: Tata Institute Claims New Breakthrough in Cancer Prevention
After a decade of work, a team of researchers and doctors at the Tata Institute in Mumbai have developed a novel drug that aims to prevent cancer recurrence in patients.
Mumbai, February 28: After a decade of work, a team of researchers and doctors at the Tata Institute in Mumbai have developed a novel drug that aims to prevent cancer recurrence in patients. The drug, which comes in the form of a tablet, costs Rs 100 per piece and is based on a combination of resveratrol and copper (R+Cu), which generate oxygen radicals that destroy cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs). CfChPs are fragments of chromosomes released by dying cancer cells and can cause new tumours by fusing with healthy cells.
"Human cancer cells were inserted in rats for the research, which formed a tumour in them. The rats were then treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. It was found that when these cancer cells die, they break into tiny pieces called Chromatin particles. These particles can travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream, and when they enter healthy cells, they can turn them cancerous," NDTV reported, quoting senior cancer surgeon Dr Rajendra Badve as saying. Cancer Treatment: Image-guided Radiation Therapy Can Boost Outcomes, Say Doctors.
What Tata Institute Team Found in Experiments?
The team conducted experiments on mice with human breast cancer cells and found that the drug effectively destroyed chromatin and prevented metastasis. The team plans to conduct human trials to test the efficacy and safety of the drug.
When Can We See Tablets in Market?
The research team worked on the tablet for 10 years and called it the “Magic of R+Cu”. The team is now awaiting approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to launch the tablet in the market by June-July. AI For Cancer Treatment: Google and US Department Of Defense Work Together To Build Microscope Powered By AI To Help Doctors Spot Cancer.
Dr Badve said that the tablet could improve the quality of life and survival rate of cancer patients, especially those with pancreatic, lung, and oral cancers. He said that the tablet would be affordable and accessible to everyone, unlike the expensive cancer treatments. He also said that the human trials for the prevention effect of the tablet would take another five years to complete.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2024 12:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).