Taiwan researchers find new use for leukemia drug against lung cancer
04/24/2021 01:28 PM
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Tsai Hsing-chen (front row, second left), an associate professor at National Taiwan University College of Medicine. CNA photo April 22, 2021
Taipei, April 24 (CNA) Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) have found that a drug used to treat leukemia can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy for lung cancer, a discovery they said could potentially increase life expectancy for those diagnosed with the disease.
At a press conference on Thursday, the NTUH team led by Tsai Hsing-chen (蔡幸真), a doctor in the hospital s Department of Internal Medicine, highlighted the pressing need for new treatments for lung cancer, which kills over 9,000 people per year in Taiwan and is often only discovered in its later stages.
Synergistic effect between NF-κB inhibitors and zinc in vitro reducing ACE2 expression
Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei have conducted a study demonstrating the potential effectiveness of a novel drug combination at reducing morbidity and mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a study using two human cell lines, a combination of the clinical drugs triclabendazole and emetine effectively suppressed expression of the host cell receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Furthermore, this suppressive effect was enhanced by the addition of zinc sulfate, suggesting that zinc supplementation might further increase the potential clinical application of the drug combination for COVID-19 prevention and treatment.