In Germany, around 480.000 people are diagnosed each year with cancer. Detected early, to treat many tumors. However, despite improved therapy options, cancer remains the second most common cause of death in Germany after cardiovascular diseases. Accordingly, it is the hopes of the cancer-patients and their families in the exploration of new therapies.
Since the beginning of this week a message in the network, which advertises with a big promise spreads: “A cure for cancer? Israeli researchers believe they have found one,” reads the Headline of the article that appeared on Monday in the newspaper “the Jerusalem Post”. In the Text, a team of scientists of a therapy, to make cancer a fully curable reported.
Big promises – little evidence
Many international media have picked up the message and contribute to their dissemination. Many readers are asking: Are the promises of the researcher is reliable? On closer Inspection Of the statements of the researchers, there is a reasonable doubt.
In the Text of the Jerusalem Post, a man by the name of Dan Aridor comes to the word: He is not a doctor, but has a degree in financial Sciences and directs the company’s “Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd” (AEBI), based in Israel. According to the information portal Bloomberg, the company is working on the development of new drugs. The focus of the company is on therapeutic peptides. These are molecules that consist of two or more amino acids, and, among other things, in cancer research.
The method of AEBI researches, is called “MuTaTo”. The acronym derives from the term “multi-target toxin”, which translates as as much as multi-target poison. According to the inventor of the cancer drug to the peptide-base is to be based on several cancer receptors and the cancer cells with a poison specifically to kill.
According to the researchers, was a Problem of existing cancer therapies in that they focused on a Receptor focus. The cancer cell is mutated, the therapy had a may not, so the Argumentation of the researchers. This Problem should be circumvented by the multi-attack to the cell. The method is expected to have “minimal side effects” and from the “first day to be effective”.
No studies in humans efficacy not occupied
It is questionable whether the researchers are able to keep their promises. At least the views of the Study site skeptical: This was so far only tested in mice – clinical studies in humans. The results of the mouse-Try, according to experts, only rarely on humans.
In the medical field there are countless examples of statements that were made on the Basis of animal studies and the “were not absolutely of the human diseases are transferable,” says the physician Benjamin Neel from the “Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center” (New York) in an interview with U.S. television channel “11abc”. The statements of the researchers at such an early stage he perceives as “unfair”. Cancer patients would hope that was “probably wrong”. He called on the Israeli scientists to pursue the study results for peer review to submit or publish.
The German cancer research centre in Heidelberg, was at the request of the star is not the method to Express and also referred to the Study: “Currently we are still no publication to which a scientist in his assessment of the profession could,” said a spokesman.
In order to obtain approval for a medicinal product must submit pharmaceutical company documents the effectiveness, the safety and quality of the drug evidence. In the case of cancer drugs, the European medicines Agency (EMA) for the review of the documentation responsible. The effectiveness of individual funds, for example, by clinical studies in patients show. However, the last often years.
Whether and how the AEBI-researchers will be able to keep their promises, according to the current state of knowledge, completely open. For this you would have to provide meaningful study results, currently available. Until then, you have achieved one thing: quite a lot of PR, which is likely to be in your senses.
