An article in the Feb. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine describes how researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA and at two other cancer centers have discovered a way to reduce dramatically the likelihood of life-threatening bleeding for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The discovery involves quickly restoring blood cells called platelets to their initial levels after they have been severely depleted by chemotherapy.
Platelets promote clotting in blood.
The New England Journal of Medicine article represents the first publication of data and detailed conclusions from the ongoing trial announced last May at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Philadelphia. Glaspy is using a new drug called MGDF to increase platelet counts in cancer patients. MGDF is a molecule related to the hormone-like protein substance that humans produce to regulate platelet production. Calif. Trials at UCLA have validated the safety of MGDF and established dose sizes. A UCLA trial designed to demonstrate the efficacy of MGDF is currently open to lung cancer patients considering chemotherapy.