Offshore Clinical Trials

Conventional cancer treatments have been marginally effective for advanced-stage cancers because of the inability of standard therapeutic agents to kill the cancer stem cells (CSC). Ironically, many studies have shown that even while chemotherapy agents may be killing the sensitive daughter cells, these agents may simultaneously induce the cancer stem cells to multiply. As the population of cancer stem cells grow, the resistance and aggressiveness of the cancer tends to increase.

The "Holy Grail" in treating cancer, may lie in a new modality or drug that targets the resistant cells and the cancer stem cells. In 2009, a seminal study by Gupta and colleagues revealed that salinomycin selectively eliminates human breast CSCs in mice. A follow-up publication demonstrated that salinomycin induces massive apoptosis in human cancer cells of different origin that display multiple mechanisms of drug and apoptosis resistance. There is growing evidence that salinomycin not only targets CSCs, but also kills more differentiated non-CSC tumor cells and, most importantly, cancer cells that display efficient mechanisms of resistance to cytotoxic drugs, radiation, and induction of apoptosis. Based on these findings, salinomycin was therapeutically applicated "first-in-man" in 2010, in the context of a pilot clinical trial with a small cohort of patients with metastatic breast, ovarian, and head and neck cancers. http://www.hindawi.com/

Dr. Rosenberg's team is treating cancer patients in Central and South America with salinomycin, as well as other drugs that target resistant cells and cancer stem cells. These drugs may prove to be helpful in patients whose disease has become chemo-resistant. For more information regarding treatment with salinomycin, as well as other drugs that target resistant cells and cancer stem cells, please contact Angie Holder at angieholder@neuralgene.com or (251) 943-9409

The patient below has progressive small cell lung cancer that progressed after being treated with Carboplatin and Etoposide, which is standard of care treatment for this type of cancer. Small cell lung cancer is a very aggressive cancer with a mean life span of 7-15 months, depending on staging.

Prior to treatment, the patient was extremely short of breath and moribund. The top picture is directly before treatment; the bottom picture is after 3 weeks of treatment

with salinomycin and another drug that targets resistant cells and cancer stem cells.