photo #8589511

🏔️ A groundbreaking study led by the University of Oxford, in partnership with biopharmaceutical company NuCana, has revealed that a new chemotherapy drug, NUC-7738, is up to 40 times more effective at killing cancer cells than its natural predecessor.Derived from Cordycepin—a compound found in the Himalayan fungus Cordyceps sinensis and long used in traditional medicine—NUC-7738 harnesses NuCana’s innovative ProTide™ technology to bypass key barriers that have limited Cordycepin’s clinical effectiveness.Cordycepin, while promising, rapidly breaks down in the bloodstream and relies on cellular transport and activation steps that reduce its delivery to tumors. NuCana's ProTide technology solves this by chemically modifying the compound to enable direct delivery of the active anti-cancer metabolite (3’-dATP) inside cancer cells, enhancing efficacy and minimizing resistance.The study, published in Clinical Cancer Research, shows that NUC-7738 not only avoids breakdown by the enzyme ADA but also bypasses the need for cellular transporters and activators. This approach has already proven successful in antivirals like Remdesivir and Sofosbuvir.Currently in Phase 1 clinical trials (NuTide:701), NUC-7738 is being tested in patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to conventional therapies. Early results indicate that the drug is well-tolerated and exhibits promising anti-cancer activity. Plans for Phase 2 trials are underway, with researchers hopeful that ProTide-based drugs could transform chemotherapy by making it more effective and better tolerated.This breakthrough illustrates the power of combining natural compounds with advanced drug design to fight treatment-resistant cancers more effectively.Follow Science Sphere for regular scientific updates 🦠Reference:Anti-cancer drug derived from fungus shows promise in clinical trials (Oxford University) — https://bit.ly/44xt4qF