Academic might save millions with ‘cancer cure’

15 December 2005

BRUSSELS — Pioneering work in blood vessel research by a Belgian molecular biologist could save the lives of more then 500 million people from 2010 at the latest.

The work being carried out by Leuven Catholic University academic Peter Carmeliet could cure people of cancer and other fatal illnesses.

Academic journal ‘Nature’ said Carmeliet’s new blood vessel study will “change the face of medicine”, newspaper ‘Het Nieuwsblad’ reported on Thursday.
 
Worldwide, some 500 million people could be assisted by the medicines developed from the research.

These medicines can target 70 different diseases in which blood vessels carry oxygen to diseased cells, allowing them to grow.

However, the new treatment would limit the supply of oxygen, halting the growth of the cells by a form of suffocation.

By cutting off the oxygen supply, cancer cells would be deprived of ‘food’ and would subsequently stop growing.

Researcher Carmeliet gave the magazine Nature an outline of the possibilities. He work is cutting edge and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology is world famous.

Medicines are now being developed in Leuven that must be ready by 2010 to combat diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism and skin diseases.

Several top pharmaceutical firms are also racing each other to claim patents and produce the drugs.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news