Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researcher finds mold by-product kills multiple myelom

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Public release date: 15-Apr-2007

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Mayo Clinic

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/mc-mcc041207.php

Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researcher finds mold by-product kills

multiple myeloma

LOS ANGELES -- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center researchers have found that

chaetocin, a by-product of a common wood mold, has promise as a new

anti-myeloma agent. Results of their study, being presented today at

the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, show

the by-product to be more effective than currently used therapies at

killing multiple myeloma cells. The complete findings are also

available online in Blood.

" There were a number of fascinating findings, " says Bible,

M.D., Ph.D., oncologist and the study's primary investigator. " In

addition to observing many favorable aspects of chaetocin, we

discovered some avenues for further research into other possible

anti-myeloma agents. "

Multiple myeloma is an incurable bone marrow cancer that kills more

than 11,000 people each year in the United States, reports the

American Cancer Society. Dr. Bible's team has shown for the first

time that chaetocin has promising anti-myeloma activity. They found

that chaetocin's promise includes the ability to:

Kill myeloma cells harboring a diverse array of genetic

abnormalities

Cause biological changes and induce oxidative stress in myeloma

cells, leading to their death

Selectively kill myeloma cells with superior efficacy to commonly-

used anti-myeloma drugs including dexamethasone and doxorubicin

Reduce myeloma growth in mice

Rapidly accumulate in cancer cells

The researchers were surprised that chaetocin, while structurally

similar to anti-cancer agents known as histone deacetylase

inhibitors (HDACIs), did not, at cytotoxic concentrations, seem to

function as an HDACI; but instead that the cytotoxic mechanism

appeared to be at least in part attributable to oxidative stress

caused by chaetocin.

" Much more research needs to be done, " says Tibodeau, Mayo

post-doctorate fellow and presenter of the study, " but we are

hopeful that chaetocin may some day provide needed help to our

patients. "

Dr. Bible indicated that it will still be a few years before patient

trials can commence, but says, " we will continue working with

chaetocin to find the best way to use it for our patients. We are

also pursuing other agents which may cause similar cellular

oxidative stress. "

With the oldest and largest myeloma program in the country, Mayo

Clinic has a long tradition of leadership in myeloma research and

novel therapeutic development. Dr. Bible's research is part of an

ongoing initiative within Mayo's Dysproteinemia and Myeloma Groups

to find promising natural or man-made agents for the treatment of

myeloma and other blood diseases and to investigate at a basic

science level and subsequently translate that research into clinical

practice.

###

In Los Angeles

Russ Vanderboom

440-279-3693

Embargoed: Hold for Release until

Sunday, April 15, 2007, at 1 p.m. PDT

American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting

Other researchers contributing to this study included Crescent

Isham; Jin; Ruifang Xu, M.D., Ph.D.; and Timm. Funding

for this research came from the National Institutes of Health and

the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

More information on hematology research at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center

can be found on the Hematologic Malignancies Program Web site.

Check our Web site at www.mayoclinic.org/aacr-news for updates on

Mayo research being presented at the AACR meetings.

Disclosure: In accordance with the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, Mayo

Clinic has filed a patent application related to this technology.

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to

www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com (www.mayoclinic.com) is

available as a resource for your health stories.