New Delhi, July 9
While cancer has seen some significant advancements in treatments that have shown promise and increased lifespan, however, it also causes serious side effects, which can affect quality of life.
A new study by researchers from Australia is shedding new light on the reasons behind these side effects, news agency reported.
The team from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne discovered that the protein MCL-1 -- a key target in cancer drug development -- plays not only a role in preventing cell death in cancer cells but also supplying energy to normal cells.
As a result, drugs that inhibit MCL-1 can inadvertently damage healthy tissues that rely on this protein for energy, especially in organs with high energy demand like the heart and liver, leading to the severe side effects observed in clinical trials, said the team.
The new findings clarify that these side effects may be linked to the protein's critical role in cellular energy production, which enables the development of safer, more targeted cancer therapies that reduce harm to healthy tissues while staying effective against cancer.