whoLuLu wrote: Renowned Oncologist Dr. Michael Jewett Joins Theralase's Medical and Scientific Advisory Board V.TLT | January 29, 2013
With Dr. Jewett's expert guidance, we are confident that we will be able to complete the steps necessary to commence FDA Phase 1 human clinical trials in 2013 with our lead Photo Dynamic Compound (PDC), where we will demonstrate that Theralase possesses a highly effective and safe alternative treatment option to patients, suffering from non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Based on the clinical success of the PDC technology in FDA Phase 1 human clinical trials, Theralase is expected to be granted FDA "Fast Track" designation allowing an expedited priority review and approval process." According to the FDA, "Fast Track" is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious diseases and fill an unmet medical need. The purpose is to get important new drugs to the patient earlier. .............
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Good reference/highlight. Most of us are still learning and it is important to understand, there is no complete miracle cure. Early detection is key. If the cancer has spread to the pelvic or abdominal wall, lymph nodes, or distant sites such as bone, liver, or lungs through the lymph system or blood, it becomes more difficult to treat. One-half of patients with muscle invasive TCC will die of bladder cancer within 5 years. Late state bladder cancer (T4) is generally regarded as incurable with a 5 year survival rate of 21%.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is being studied for treating early stage near surface bladder cancers. The targets of PDT include tumor cells, the microvasculature of the tumor bed as well as normal microvasculature, and the inflammatory and immune host system. PDT effects on all these targets may influence each other, producing a plethora of responses but it's becoming more widely recognized as a valuable treatment option for localized cancers.
Theralase - PDT treatments (Patented PDC's/Light activated), if proven, would be most effective with early stage... stage 0a, stage 0is, or stage i but could play a huge supportive role with stage ii, iii, iv, recurrent and drug-resistant cancers. PDT may be used with other cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Tumours that regrow and start to cause problems again can be retreated with PDT. There have been substantial advances in the understanding of the PDT-induced tumor-specific immune reaction (Like TLT's recently announce anti-cancer memory effect). This effect may not be relevant to the initial tumor ablation, but may be decisive in attaining long-term tumor control. There are several successful reports on use of PDT for treatment of recurrent or drug-resistant superficial bladder cancer, a group at high risk for muscle invasion often requiring radical cystectomy with its attendant complications.
Theralase's patented anti-cancer drugs - Photo Dynamic Compounds (PDCs) - which localize the DNA of cancer cells and when irradiated, destroy the DNA resulting in apoptosis (natural cell death). While PDCs are used in Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) as a potential treatment regime for a number of conditions, Theralase has discovered that they hold particular promise as treatment to particular cancers. Through studies conducted internally and independently Theralase's PDCs have proven successful in destroying breast, colon, brain and bladder cancer cells... but late stage cancers will still need a multi-method-treatment plan of attack.. with PDC/TLT treatment, you could see those 50% and 21% 5 year survival rates increase substantially and with early detection / early stage cancer (80% of diagnosis), it could be a half day treatment with a 12 week followup.
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https://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2014/05/theralase-anti-cancer-photodynamic-therapy-nears-human-trials.html
The latest research on Photo Dynamic Compound (PDC) technology from Theralase Technologies (TLT.V; Toronto, ON, Canada), proven effective in the destruction of bacteria and cancer, was peer reviewed and invited to be published in Coordination Chemistry Reviews as the company prepares for human clinical trials.
RELATED ARTICLE: Low-level light therapy: It's all about wavelength and power
The new research presents how Theralase's new class of PDCs incorporates systems that act as dual Type I/II PDCs (able to work in oxygenated and non-oxygenated tissue), opening up the possibility of treating hypoxic (low oxygen) tumors with Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDT). These PDCs are in-vitro centromere binders (localizing to the nucleus of a cell) and photocleavers (ability to damage nucleus), thus destroying cells when exposed to light. They also exhibit no nucleic damage in the absence of light, supporting their high safety and tolerability.
This PDT effect translates effectively to animals and has proven superior to the FDA approved PDC Photofrin(R), in this research. The ability to activate the Theralase PDCs from visible to near-infrared (NIR) light marks an unprecedented versatility that can be exploited to match treatment depth to tumor target depth, giving rise to PDCs for multi-wavelength activated PDT.
Briefly, light absorption by the PDC produces a reactive excited state that can participate in electron (Type I) or energy (Type II) transfer to ground state molecular oxygen forming either superoxide radical anions or cytotoxic singlet oxygen, respectively. The production of a cytotoxic (cell killing) burst of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), notably singlet oxygen has proven effective in eliminating tumors and/or tumor vasculature. The primary advantage of light-based approaches in treating diseases, such as cancer, is that guided light delivery confines drug activity to malignant sites; thereby, reducing collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Consequently, due to the high photostability of the Theralase PDC, very low drug doses can be used (nanograms) with activation at higher light doses, simultaneously eliminating the side effects caused by conventional systemic chemotherapeutics
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This is progress and who knows what other breakthroughs could be possible in regards to activating the PDC's.