Salinomycin

Salinomycin is an antibiotic that has been shown in trials to kill master cancer cells. The drug selectively targets the rare stem cells which drive the growth of tumors, and in trials on mice, was shown to be 100 times more effective in killing breast cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, Salinomycin specifically targets the stem cells and restricts the cancer from growing, causing a relapse, or spreading or metastasizing. A version of Salinomycin for humans has yet to be developed. Salinomycin is currently used in poultry fodder to stop the coccidian parasite from infecting the intestinal tracts of chickens.

New Compound Shows Promise for Cancer Treatment

A new compound called salinomycin has shown promise in attacking cancer producing stem cells. Cancer stem cells are important because they appear to fuel the growth of several types of cancers. Salinomycin reduced the number of cancer stem cells 100 times more than a Taxol, a common chemotherapy medicine. “It’s exactly the opposite of standard treatment,” said Max Wicha, director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. “While chemotherapy kills the...

Glossary:

Salinomycin

Key Phrases:

Cancer