In what could be termed as an important development in the cancer research, Yale University scientists have synthesized a chemical compound that could potentially lead to a new class of molecules to destroy cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells give rise to tumors in different cancers such as ovarian, brain, prostrate, brain, and lung cancers. Lomaiviticin agylycon, a chemical compound discovered in 2001, is thought to have magical anti-cancer properties, and is synthesized by the microbes that live on the body of a Figian sea squirt. It is extremely difficult to synthesize it lab. That is, until, the team led by chemist Seth Herzon did it. About Lomaiviticin It is a butterfly-shaped molecule covered with several sugars and two nitrogen groups. Generally, nitrogen groups make the compound explosive but, in this case, they are surprisingly stable. The molecule also is symmetrical dimmer, that is, one of the molecule is identical to the other half. The dimmers are connected by a single carbon-carbon bond. It is this carbon-carbon bond that joins the two halves that is difficult to synthesize in lab. The team built the bond with the help of a manganese complex. Thus, in a tremendous breakthrough, we have sugar-free form or agylycon of lomaiviticin. The next step The next step, obviously, is to get carbohydrates on, and test it for its anti-cancer properties. Many scientists are excited about lomaiviticin’s anti-cancer possibilities and hope to deploy it against ovarian stem cells. Ovarian cancer, especially, has a high rate of recurrence. To make matters worse, Taxol and Carboplatin, two of the most common chemotherapy drugs, miss the disease by a mile. Gil Mor of the Yale School of Medicine, said, "If you can kill the stem cells before they have the chance to form a tumor, the patient will have a much better chance of survival - and there aren't many potential therapies out there that target cancer stem cells right now.†With the synthesis of lomaiviticin, there is a chance that a frontal attack on cancer stem cells can be carried out.
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