New study reveals innovative treatment avenue for cancer therapies

A new study from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has revealed a potentially promising new means of treating cancer by eliminating the blood vessels that feed tumours.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation has revealed that blocking the production of small molecules produced in the body, known as epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), could achieve this end.

Typically, EETs are required for the maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system, but in conjunction with the protein known as vascular endothelial growth factor, they can also encourage the growth of blood vessels that sustain cancer cells.

However, studies conducted in mice revealed that using compounds to interfere with EETs can disrupt this process, opening up potential new avenues for therapy.

Dr Mark Kieran, an author of this collaborative study from Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center, said: "With these findings, opportunities to better understand the underlying mechanisms that drive cancer, and thus the development of effective therapies for their treatment, moves one step closer to a reality."

Last week, a separate study from Cancer Research UK uncovered new findings into the basic process of human cell division, providing insights into how this process can be corrupted among cancer patients.