A Taiwanese medical team has developed a new treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that tackles treatment-resistance, National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) president Sytwu Huey-kang (司徒惠康) told a news conference yesterday.
National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology professor Lily Wang (王慧菁), a member of the team made up of NHRI and NTHU researchers, said TNBC relies on chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel and currently cannot be treated by targeted therapy.
However, although people with this type of cancer have a five-year survival rate of 77 percent, there is a recurrence rate of 30 to 40 percent. Once the cancer returns, it often becomes resistant to paclitaxel, causing the survival rate to drop to just 8 to 12 percent, she said.
Photo: CNA
Drug resistance is caused by a protein in the body called KIF2C, a type of kinesin involved in cell division, Wang said, adding that when overly active in cancer cells, KIF2C helps them resist the effects of paclitaxel.
The new drug works by inhibiting the activity of KIF2C in cancer cells, she said.
The research team has applied the drug to treatment of ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and cervical cancer, she added.
Hsieh Hsing-pang (謝興邦), director of the NHRI’s Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, said the drug is the world’s first cell-penetrating small-molecule inhibitor of KIF2C.
It also demonstrates synergy when used in combination with paclitaxel, he added.
The drug is expected to be on the market in about five years, Hsieh said.
The team has received funding from the National Science and Technology Council this year to carry out preclinical testing, according to an NHRI statement.
The development of the new drug would be the cover story in next month’s edition of the international journal Developmental Cell, Sytwu said.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, typically occurring between the ages of 60 and 64, Wang said, adding that TNBC accounts for about 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancer cases, with an average onset age of 46.
Notably, 20 percent of TNBC cases occur in women younger than 40, she added.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS