Chinese and European researchers wanted to find out why arsenic trioxide is effective against a type of leukemia. They learned that arsenic targets proteins that contribute to the growth of cancer cells.
According to the journal Cancer Cell, arsenic promotes the degradation of this protein and accelerates the destruction of diseased cells. "Today, the action of arsenic in promyelocytic leukaemia represents one of the best understood examples of the molecular basis of an anti-cancer treatment delivering definitive patient cures. It represents a targeted therapy model for other cancers," says study author Hugues de Thé at INSERM in France.
Leukemia is caused by a proliferation of malignant cells in bone marrow and blood. People with acute promyelocytic leukemia have a defect that ultimately results in the proliferation of cancer cells.
Arsenic treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy and is used in many countries. There are, however, many doctors who refuse to suggest it because of its reputation as a poison.