The compound that has shown promising anti-cancer properties is presently being used in a clinical trial to test its efficiency against pancreatic cancer in humans.
The study, conducted at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, is the first ever in the field of lung cancer treatment using this substance. It was found that beta-lapachone networks with an enzyme called NQO1, which is present at high levels in non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors. In tumors, the compound is metabolized by the enzyme and produces cellular death without damaging non-cancerous tissues.
Until recently, the researchers were not aware about the mechanism of how the compound killed cancer cells. The study appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
ANI quotes Dr. David Boothman, a professor in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center and senior author of a study as saying, "Basically, we have worked out the mechanism of action of beta-lapachone and devised a way of using that drug for individualized therapy."
The research also found that beta-lapachone also upsets the cancerous cell's ability to reproduce its DNA, eventually leading to the cell's termination. A high dose of the compound given for only two to four hours caused all the NQO1-containing cancer cells to die.
The researchers hope that by using a drug like beta-lapachone, they can selectively and effectively target and eliminate cancer.
