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Fatty Acids Fight Cancer Spread

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"Tiny agents found in omega-3 could potentially be used to block the path of primary cancer tumors, preventing the advance to secondary-stage cancers."

News Medical

Tiny agents found in omega-3 could potentially be used to block the path of primary cancer tumors, preventing the advance to secondary-stage cancers according to pharmacy researchers at the University of Sydney.

Investigators in the Faculty of Pharmacy's Pharmacogenomics and Drug Development Group are using breast cancer tissue cells to gauge the blocking capacity of the omega-3 agents called epoxides on cancer cell movement.

Dr Michael Murray, Professor of Pharmogenetics at the university, says a major life-threatening consequence of malignant breast tumors is metastasis where the disease has spread to distant sites (or tissues) and at present there are no treatments.

He led his team to the discovery of the anti-metastatic actions of epoxides, which are produced within the body from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The ground-breaking work has led Murray and his Drug Development Group deeper into the molecular structure of the omega-3 agents.

Professor Murray says:

"These agents are a bit like frontline soldiers blocking the assault of an invading army and now we want to advance our research which was published late last year and apply it to breast cancer cells."

"We know that epidemiological studies have reported that dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, decrease the risk of certain cancers. And many of us are including sources of omega-3 such as tuna and salmon in our diet as a precaution."

"The major objective of our new project is to speed the development of anti-metastatic agents based on omega-3 epoxides and trial their effectiveness in vivo on breast cancer tissue."

"Longer term we are aiming to develop a completely new class of anti-metastatic drugs designed to inhibit the spread of primary cancers," Murray says. . .View Full Article

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