New cancer treatment gives hope to lymphoma and leukemia patients.

Scottsdale, United States - a cancer research have high hopes for a new therapy for patients with some types of lymphoma and leukemia PCI-32765 is a new drug being evaluated in Phase I clinical trials at the center. Virginia G. Piper Cancer with Clinical Division of the genome. translational Research Institute (TGen).

This is one of 35 such trials under way through a partnership between the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare and TGen, which will allow the discovery of molecular and genomics to the patients through. Phase I trials as quickly as possible.

"Progress in the development of new treatments for cancer has been painfully slow, as only 2-4 percent of all cancer patients enroll in clinical trials. Particularly for disorders such as cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, "Dr. Raoul Tibes director said. The hematological cancer, the Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center and vice investigations at TGen.

A clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of new drugs before they are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Attendance is voluntary for those who have failed treatment for cancer and other Arizona is one of several states in the clinical trials were often covered by health insurance.

"This study is going very well. Represents a very promising,'' Dr. Tibes said of PCI-32765, which is characterized by abnormalities in the molecular cell lymphoma. "This is the mechanism of cancer, recently stated that we would go. After the. This drug in lymphoma cells. ".

Bruton-tyrosine-kinase, or Btk enzyme needed to maintain the function of B lymphocytes-B lymphocytes are the cells that make antibodies for the immune system.

Too Btk causes a disease called. agammaglobulinemia Bruton's B-lymphocytes. Failed to grow and produce antibodies that lead to infection.

Btk are involved in stimulating the proliferation and the continued spread of lymphoma and leukemia cells.

PCI-32765, manufactured by Pharmacyclics. The Sunnyvale, Calif. The study shows that inhibition of Btk Preclinical PCI-32765 on tumor cell growth arrest and induce cancer cell death.

"This is the yin and yang of the two diseases," Dr. Tibes said that there is not enough Btk; Among other things, too: "We are taking advantage of a phenomenon that occurs naturally in the enzyme to turn it around and now we have a cancer drug with it".

Dr. Tibes, principal investigator for clinical trials that PCI-32765 is the frontier of research and new treatment options for patients with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma and advanced leukemia.

Patients with a variety of lymphomas can participate in clinical trials, including those with aggressive B-Cell lymphoma cell spreading and mantle as well as patients with cancer, lymphoma, follicular.

"There may be a genetic context, as some patients may be more responsive. We want to find those patients and explore the possibilities for their study,'' Dr. Ramesh K. This ongoing Ramanathan, medical research director, said.