HALF of all cancers may soon be prevented simply by taking a pill once a
week, say researchers working on drugs that activate our body’s natural defence
mechanisms.
One such drug, called oltipraz, is already being tested. Developed and
approved for treating schistosomiasis, oltipraz was found to stimulate the body
to make an enzyme called glutathione S-transferase. GST neutralises carcinogens
such as benzene, preventing them damaging DNA and allowing the body to get rid
of the by-products. Tests in animals have shown it can prevent cancer.
Toxicologist Thomas Kensler of Johns Hopkins University in Maryland is
carrying out trials of…
