Arsenic in cancer treatment: mechanism of action and new forms of delivery

Project leader: Ján Sedlák
Project duration: 2011 - 2013

Arsenic compounds have long been used in traditional Chinese medicines and realgar alone is included in more than twenty oral remedies. Absence of induced myelosuppression at clinically relevant doses and multiple molecular pathways targeted by arsenic support its potential role as an adjuvant with other chemotherapy. Increased bioavailability of nanosized realgar (As4S4) can improve targeted treatment of tumor cells. The mechanism of action in transformed cell lines, the type of death induced by realgar alone and in combinations with drugs in vitro and in vivo xenograft animal model will be evaluated. The production of non-toxic delivery system capable of transferring the drug to the target cells without modification of the drugs function that will lead to improved therapy and significant reduction of toxic side effects is expected.

Publications