| THE
POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF NK4, A NEW ANTAGONIST TO HGF/SF, AS
AN ANTI-CANCER AGENT.
Dr Wen G Jiang, Dr Gaynor Davies University of Wales |
HGF/SF stands for Human Growth Factor/Scatter Factor and is a chemical secreted by most cancer types to facilitate invasion of the host body. This study looked at the benefit of a new agent, NK4, which is recognized to be antagonistic (works against) to HGF/SF.
Although the results are favourable and show potential benefit from the new “drug” it should be pointed out that the research was carried out in “nude” mice. These are mice with no inherent defence mechanisms and it is, therefore, probably premature to imply any benefit for patients with cancer.
However this work suggests that there is therapeutic benefit from treating cancers with an HGF/SF antagonist.
Research summarised by Prostate Research Campaign UK, 25/02/2002.
Project G1999/06.