OTArticle: Dual Purpose: Some Cancer Therapies Used to Treat Autoimmune Diseases

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Dual Purpose: Some Cancer Therapies Used to Treat Autoimmune Diseases http://jncicancerspectrum.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/jnci;96/8/577.pdf Because of its immunosuppressiveproperties, nitrogen mustard was one of thefirst cancer chemotherapy drugs used fortreating noncancer diseases—in particular,those that appeared to involve heightenedor abnormal immune system activity. Suchdiseases include rheumatoid arthritis,systemic lupus erythematosus, and Wegenergranulomatosis. Thus, some of the more targetedtherapies developed in the future that willbe useful for both cancer and autoimmunedisease may act through commonpathways. "A lot of chemotherapy rightnow is just killing cells," Lockshin said."If we get out of the business of killingcells, but instead block their activities,we're likely to achieve better outcomeswith less toxicity."