Synthetic Molecules Show Promise for Fighting Cancer

Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem

Prof. Shimon Gatt and Dr. Arie Dagan have developed synthetic molecules which may be the foundation for a new class of anti-cancer drugs. The molecules, mostly derivatives of ceramide, have been shown to reduce the sizes of various malignant tumors, including pancreatic, prostate, and breast tumors. The molecules inflict little to no damage on surrounding, healthy tissue.

Ceramide is a lipid molecule which causes what is called "programmed cell death" in several types of cancer cells. Its natural levels in the body are not high enough to be beneficial in fighting cancer, however the synthetic molecules developed by Prof. Gatt and Dr. Gagan increase these levels significantly.

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