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The side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be devastating for patients. Both can cause fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and permanent hair loss. Radiation damages skin, mouth, throat and bowel tissues, and chemotherapy can also lead to hearing loss and damage to organs such as the heart and kidney. The side of effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy are generally linked to the generation of reactive oxygen species.
There is only one commercially available product—amifostine—to help protect normal tissue from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Amifostine can be toxic, lower the patient’s blood pressure, and is generally unstable. As a result, use of the product has been limited.
Tego’s product, DF-1, may provide a more effective and less toxic alternative. Through a collaboration with researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Tego has demonstrated that DF-1 can reduce organ damage by one-half to two-thirds in zebra fish. The company is currently working with National Cancer Institute to test the drug’s efficacy and toxicity in animal models. |
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