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Researchers keep on developing new drugs to fight cancer, and while some are indeed effective, others never fulfill their promise. A new study now explains why many cancer drugs may not work in the way their developers think they do. But within the problem also lies the solution. As the search for improved anticancer drugs continues, a new study has discovered that many of the new medications that do work often target different mechanisms than those the scientists intended them for. This may also explain why many new drugs fail to work. The finding comes from a team of scientists at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, who originally set out to study a different issue. Jason Sheltzer, Ph.D., and team initially wanted to identify the genes that had links to low survival rates among people receiving cancer treatment. But this work led them to find something they did not expect: that MELK, a protein formerly linked with cancer growth, does not affect tumor progression. Because cancer tumors contain high levels of MELK, researchers had thought that cancer cells used this protein to proliferate. They thought that by stopping MELK production, this would also slow down tumor growth. If this kind of evidence was routinely collected before drugs entered clinical trials, we might be able to do a better job assigning patients to therapies that are most likely to provide some benefit. With this knowledge, I believe we can better fulfill the promise of precision medicine. Says Jason Sheltzer, Ph.D.

New research finds that iron halves the absorption of lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid full of antioxidants that is present in tomatoes. Regarding cancer previous studies have found a link between lycopene — which is a plant compound present in tomatoes — and a lower risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer, among others. Although consuming lycopene-rich foods is good for health, other nutrients that we combine them with may help or hinder their cancer fighting properties. A small new study now suggests that consuming foods or supplements rich in iron may halve the benefits of lycopene.When people had iron with their meal, we saw almost a twofold drop in lycopene uptake over time, explains Kopec. This could have potential implications every time a person is consuming something rich in lycopene and iron say a Bolognese sauce, or an iron fortified cereal with a side of tomato juice. You're probably only getting half as much lycopene from this as you would without the iron." Says Rachel Kopec. The study authors note that using only male participants in their tests, as well as focusing exclusively on apo‐lycopenoids, limits the study findings. (CREDITS: www.medicalnewstoday.com)