What makes a good chemotherapeutic molecule?
All molecules have unique properties.
Some of these properties are good for an activity, while other properties are bad for the same activity. Some properties are so bad that it will prevent the use of the molecule, for example, in medicine. Each property of a drug must be assessed for good chemotherapeutic activity.
What makes good chemotherapeutic activity?
· We want a chemotherapeutic drug to wipe out the existence of cancer cells.
This can be accomplished by killing cancer cells, which has proved over the last several decades to be very difficult. One example of a chemotherapeutic drug whose job it is to kill cancer cells is paclitaxel, a drug used against breast cancer as well as other types of cancer.
Alternatively, we can change cancer cells into normal healthy cells. This activity belongs to methyl sulfone. In addition, methyl sulfone affects 100% of the cancer cells.
· We want the chemotherapeutic drug to be non-toxic.
All current chemotherapeutic drugs have side effects, some lethal, some debilitating. I became quite sick when I was given paclitaxel 15 years ago. I still have no feeling in my right toes. Often, the most effective dose of a chemotherapeutic drug cannot be given to a patient because the side effects are too dangerous.
Alternatively, methyl sulfone is about as toxic as water. Recently, the FDA granted methyl sulfone GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status. Methyl sulfone has been taken orally by millions of people to relieve the symptoms of arthritis (Please note: we have done no research on the effect of methyl sulfone on arthritis). Concomitant reporting of side effects in humans is virtually nonexistent. Studies on side effects of methyl sulfone taken orally has shown no effects on the brain, liver, kidneys, blood cells, fetal development, etc.
However, studies have not yet been performed on side effects of methyl sulfone given via IV infusion. This is part of our experiments planned for Experiment.com.
· We want the chemotherapeutic drug to be soluble in water?
The reason we want the drug to be soluble in water is because 90% of our bodies are water. Water solubility means more of the drug will reach the cancer cells and that the drug will be much less toxic.
Paclitaxel is insoluble in water. This drug must be dissolved in the organic solvent, DMSO. DMSO alone causes many harsh side effects.
Methyl sulfone is highly soluble in water – 150mg/ml of water.
· We want the chemotherapeutic drug to be easy to obtain cheaply and in large quantities.
Current chemotherapy is more expensive now than any time in the past. It is not unusual for a treatment to cost a patient $120,000. This is in part because it is very expensive to produce monoclonal antibodies as chemotherapeutic agents. Even drugs like paclitaxel are expensive and time consuming to chemically synthesize.
Alternatively, methyl sulfone is easy and cheap to synthesize and purify from reagents that are highly abundant. In addition no toxic byproducts are produce.
Unfortunately, as is known with inexpensive antibiotics, pharmaceutical companies may not be interested in an inexpensive, albeit effective and safe, chemotherapeutic drug.
· Finally, we want a chemotherapeutic drug to have a history of use.
Methyl sulfone has been in use for at least 65 million years. For example, the horsetail plant, found all over North America, was a huge tree during the Jurassic period, living communally with dinosaurs, fishes and the earliest mammals. Horsetail plants contain huge amounts of methyl sulfone.
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