The extensive research projects undergoing on AIDS worldwide have though yet not established any charming hopes for the AIDS patients, but, such efforts do obviously have not gone wasted. Scientists have found that protease inhibitors (PIs), a common drug types used for HIV infections, do yield positive response if used to treat cancers. Indeed, a highly upbeat observation. Is not it? Patients of deadly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can now expect more aids from these AIDS research projects.
Protease inhibitor, most frequently pronounced in conjunction with AIDS treatment, is nothing but a compound that resists breaking down of proteins by certain enzymes. Such properties of protease inhibitors have proved to be most effective in stopping spreading of cancer cells, in addition to helping AIDS viruses not to make copies on themselves. Protease inhibitors with strong anticarcinogenic affinity have potential utilization as cancer chemopreventive agents. One good example of these inhibitors is the Bowman-Birk inhibitor, derived from soybeans. More surprisingly, recent studies have also shown that few protease inhibitors even respond positively in treating malaria. All these findings do highlight the greater relationships between the HIV and all other diseases.
Nelfinavir, an AIDS drug based on protease inhibitors being marketed by Roche Holding AG and Pfizer Inc as Viracept since 1998, has been proved as most effective in fighting growth of breast cancer cells. Besides, there are two other protease inhibitors, ritonavir and saquinavir being marketed as Norvir by Abbott Laboratories Inc and Invirase by Roche respectively, have also shown their effective power in dealing with cancer cells. Protease inhibitors (PIs) now days are widely used to deal with growth of tumors, tumor-associated angiogenesis, myelomonocytic, and Burkitt lymphoma, etc.
As per the findings, it has been highlighted that with high intakes of Bowman-Birk inhibitor enriched soybean and chymotrypsin inhibitor 1 enhanced potatoes, one can greatly reduce the risk of several types of cancers. All these dietary protease inhibitors do sometimes show negative side effects in rats, chicks, etc. But, such adverse affects have not been observed in human body. Even, human bodies with high intake of these dietary inhibitors have shown natural resistances to the pancreatic cancers.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science contributes greatly in offering highly purified chemical protease inhibitors.
Of course, further research on these aspects may bring more cheers to the ailing cancer patients, but as of now, the above revelations are also not less significant. Let us hope such more aiding tools to come out from the ongoing AIDS research projects.
