This interest focused on a process called cell cycle regulation. All cells are able to grow or remain stagnant, depending on the needs of the body. For example, if you remove half of someone's liver, the remaining liver tissue will rapidly grow until the liver reaches the correct size and then stop. Thus, a key characteristic of normal tissues is strict control of cell growth. In the early 1980s, it became apparent that growth of normal tissues was controlled by the production of small proteins called growth factors.
Some cancers occur because a growth factor is produced erratically.
Suramin was shown to block PDGF and cause simian sarcoma virus infected cells to return to normal behavior. When it was reported that FGF overproduction was characteristic of prostate cancer, Myers decided to investigate whether suramin was active against prostate cancer. When Myers first saw this gentleman, his prostate cancer had spread to many of the lymph nodes throughout his body. Myers went on to document that about one third of men with hormone-resistant prostate cancer respond to suramin. Suramin is now in the latter stages of drug development and may soon receive FDA-approval as treatment for prostate cancer.