'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Recent research indicates that a chemical made from olive oil may promise to cure brain cancer. This breakthrough has given hope to both patients and researchers.
A trial with individuals from five nations, conducted by Professor Peter Szlosarek of Queen Mary University in the United Kingdom, discovered that medicine can shut off the flow of what cancer depends on. Scientists described the results as "truly wonderful."
The medicine is administered in a sachet, like Lemsip, three times daily with water. It restructures the aberrant walls of cancer cells, preventing them from increasing or spreading.
More on the olive oil drug
Glioblastoma is highly prevalent and aggressive, killing most within a year. Annually, about 3,200 people receive this diagnosis in the UK.
Researchers stated:
"In this pivotal, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial in 249 patients with pleural mesothelioma, pegargiminase-chemotherapy significantly increased the median overall survival by 1.6 months and quadrupled the survival at 36 months compared to placebo-chemotherapy."
The medicine is currently being tested in a worldwide randomized Phase 2b/3 study of recently diagnosed glioblastoma patients, now enrolling patients at The Royal Marsden.
The medicine, known as 2-OHOA, is a first-in-class treatment, providing a novel and unique approach to treating the condition. It is intended to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells.
Many patients have seen encouraging signs
Cancer treatment trials are not always as effective as people would hope, however with the olive oil drug, some encouraging signs have been reported by the participants.
A patient who the researchers said benefited from the medicine stated:
"This trial has changed the lives of people with mesothelioma, allowing us to live longer."
Michele Treen, of Crawley, England, stated:
“I feel fine and can still do things I love,”... “For example, I spent the summer traveling across Europe with my husband and 11-year-old daughter in a motorhome. From mountain biking in Andorra to exploring Venice’s canals, I did things I’ll never forget with the people I love most.”
Who can be a part of this trial?
Despite seeing some encouraging signs, The olive oil drug has some limitations when it comes to who can part take in this drug trial. The researchers clarified the type of participants that could benefit from this drug in a statement:
"Unfortunately, patients with brain cancer often don’t have the opportunity to participate in early phase trials. This underpins the vital importance of research into novel new drugs like 2-OHOA, which is designed from the same building blocks as olive oil.
The drug works by reshaping the walls of cancer cells, blocking crucial growth signals that drive cancer. By including glioblastoma patients on this study, we were able to more quickly show early and hopeful results, supporting their inclusion in the Phase 2b/3 trial. We’re very much looking forward to results from ongoing trials and hope this treatment eventually becomes widely available.”
Cancer is one of the most deadly diseases known. Constant research and potential treatments have been hitting the news more often than ever, giving millions of people around the world hope to survive.
