A new drug that stops kidney and pancreatic tumours from growing in mice, as result of a novel and rapid anti-cancer drug development strategy, has been developed.

Researchers at the Moores Cancer Centre, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have found a drug that binds to a molecular 'switch' found in cancer cells and cancer-associated blood

vessels to keep it 'off'.

David Cheresh, professor of pathology at UCSD School, who led the study said," We locked the kinase switch in the off position in cancer and in tumour-associated blood vessels, which differs from the way current inhibitors attempt to block active kinases."

Allowing rapid screening and development of drugs that are more selective for the tumour, the new approach employs scaffold-based chemistry combined with supercomputer technology.

The development and screening processes were used to identify potential drug candidates able to halt a growth signaling enzyme, or kinase, which can foster tumour blood vessel and tumour

growth.

A UCSD release said that the novel approach may become a useful strategy in cancer drug development.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the study online. (With Input from Agencies)