Agent prevents tumors from developing in bones

Researchers at UT's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have used a "Trojan Horse" to prevent bone tumors from developing in mice. The agent--VEGF121/rGel--prevented cells from eating away at the bone of half the mice involved in the study to make room for tumors to grow. Their research specifically dealt with prostate cancer cells, but has implications for preventing metastasis for breast, multiple myeloma, lung and renal cell cancers.

"Many tumors invade bone in the same way, so these findings suggest it may be possible to shut down this process regardless of the tumor type," says the study's lead author, Michael G. Rosenblum, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics. "If that could be done--and we are a long way from determining if it is possible--we may be able to offer the first treatment that specifically targets bone metastasis."

- see the release on the new cancer research