Curing cancer is the biggest endeavour?medicinal researchers across the globe are currently tasked with, among other things.
One of them is brain cancer that has just 10 per cent survival rate in a 5-year period. But a bunch of students, under the leadership of an Indian origin doctor, have found a way that could brain cancer patients heal and recover.?
University of Findlay
Students at the University of Findlay College of Pharmacy in Ohio have created a chemical compound that can be beneficial in curing brain cancer.?
According to Dr. Rahul Khupse, who's a medicinal chemistry professor at the University of Findlay, "Finding those compounds, we can not only get to the brain or get to the brain cancer but also spare the normal cells, the normal brain cells. This is very, very important for us."
Image Courtesy: WBNS
The students were working on Glioblastoma-- an aggressive and adaptable form of brain cancer which doesn't get easily cured through conventional medicine methods. This is because it is really difficult to get a chemical strong enough to pass through the blood-brain barrier to eliminate the harmful cells.?
The students were able to find a set of chemical compounds that were eliminating harmful cells affected with Glioblastoma. Out of these, a compound dubbed RK-15 performed the best. According to Jacob Reyes (one of the students who were a part of this discovery) RK-15 was smart enough to just attack the harmful cells while leaving healthy brain tissue as it is.
Giving kids a hands-on experience like this while studying really prepares them for their future.
Reuters
According to Reyes, "It's such a great opportunity. And I think one of the great things about Findlay is that it's one of those small schools where you can kind of get a more one-on-one interaction with your professors, and have an easier time getting the opportunity to get in the lab and make drug compounds like this that may someday make a difference."
The chemical compound will go on testing phase with animals. And if the tests go well, they could be approved to be released in the market to save lives.