NEWS RELEASE
July12 2002
Pharmaceutical
researchers in skin cancer breakthrough
A
recent groundbreaking research outcome at the University of South
Australia has been the discovery of a unique treatment that has the
potential to prevent skin cancers developing in people who are susceptible
to the disease. The treatment could also have a significant impact on
veterinary care by reducing the incidence of skin cancers in pets,
according to Associate Professor Allan Evans, Director of UniSA’s Centre
for Pharmaceutical Research (CPR).
By
adding a particular drug to a human skin cancer cell line, the CPR team
discovered that the drug inhibited cancer cell growth. They believe that
this was by inducing a process called apoptosis (natural cell death - when
cells stop multiplying after growing to a certain stage of development).
One
of the reasons that cancer cells behave as they do is because they lose
the ability to stop growing, according to Professor Evans, who is working
with researchers Associate Professor Ross McKinnon and a student, Ms Shwu
Fen Loh, from UniSA’s School of Pharmaceutical, Molecular and Biomedical
Sciences.
“Funded
initially by the School, the aim of our research was to develop a topical
formulation that could be applied directly to the skin to prevent new skin
cancers developing, especially in people who have a history of skin
cancers,” Professor Evans said.
Working
with Dr Ian Record from the CSIRO, the researchers conducted controlled
studies on a special breed of hairless mice that spontaneously develop
skin cancers as a result of normal exposure to the UV rays in sunlight.
“We
formulated our drug as a topical preparation and applied it directly to
the skin of the mice being monitored. While some of the animals received
the CPR drug, others were given a ‘control’ treatment without the
drug. We were excited to find that our treatment caused a significant
delay in the onset of tumours. Moreover, animals that were given the CPR
drug showed significantly fewer tumours that were much smaller and not
nearly as aggressive as the tumours on the ‘control’ mice,”
Professor Evans said.
“This
is the first time in which a topical therapy of this type has been shown
to prevent the generation of skin cancers as a result of UV light
exposure. Our study demonstrated clearly that the drug is effective in
delaying the development of large tumours and this result is very
promising in terms of its potential usefulness for humans.
“Until
now, nobody has developed a medication that would be suitable for people
who have a predisposition to skin cancer. We believe that we can provide
these people with a therapeutical option that they currently don’t
have,” Professor Evans said.
“The
good thing about this particular drug is that it has been used for many
years in other forms of medicine, so it is already recognised as being
safe for long-term use, as opposed to a new drug, which has to undergo
extensive clinical testing before it can be used by humans.
“We
have filed a provisional patent, and are looking at forming a spin-off
company or venture, with the support and backing of a US pharmaceutical
company. We are also keen to conduct our clinical testing on patients with
a history of skin cancers, here in Australia.”
According
to Professor Evans, this is an excellent example of how basic research can
lead to exciting discoveries with enormous practical outcomes. The Cancer
Council South Australia has recently provided funding for further studies
to help researchers gain a better understanding of how the drug works at a
cellular level.
UniSA
researchers hope to test the drug on animals by conducting a study through
veterinary clinics. This is seen as an ideal avenue to recruit animals
such as white cats, which are prone to develop cancers around the face and
ears, and gives owners the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of
the treatment on pets with skin cancers, and possibly avoid costly and
sometimes disfiguring surgery.
“We
anticipate starting human trials in the next 12 – 24 months and, all
going well, would expect to have our product on the market in three to
five years,” Professor Evans said.
“If
our treatment could be used to stop or slow down the development of skin
cancers, which can develop many years after exposure to solar radiation,
it could reduce the need for surgery and potentially reduce the
development of serious and perhaps life threatening forms of skin cancers.
This will mean huge savings in the costs of health care and real benefits
for our community.”
Media
contact: Geraldine Hinter (08) 8302 0963 or 0417 861832
Skin cancer statistics
·
Australia
has the highest rates of sun-related cancers of the skin and lip in the
world
·
costs
associated with early detection and treatment are estimated to exceed $300
million annually, making it one of the most expensive cancers nationally
in terms of direct health costs
·
of all
cancers diagnosed in Australia, skin cancer is the most common
·
23,400
South Australians are diagnosed with sun-related cancers each year
·
melanoma
is the most lethal form of cancer, responsible for 75 per cent of deaths
from these cancers, and is one of the most common cancers in 15-44 year
olds
·
surgery
is the main form of treatment for about 95 per cent of skin cancers in
Australia
Statistics from the Cancer Council South Australia
