The clinical trial to treat primary and secondary liver cancer with the drug ALN-VSP from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals is ready to start phase 2 using its highest dose.
ALN-VSP is a drug that limits the ability of cancer cells to make proteins used to form their blood vessels. This will lead to less blood flow to the cancer cells and as such decreases the cancer. The picture above (1) shows the before and after of the red blood flow in liver tumors: cancer cells are prevented to make the essential proteins in order to form blood vessels.
The clinical trial has taken 41 cancer patients who didn’t respond to normal chemotherapy nor radiation therapy. ALN-VSP managed to off the blood flow to the tumors in about half of the patients and in about 2/3rd of the tumors (2).
This idea is based on the in 1998 discovered RNAi mechanism or "RNA interference" mechanism in primitive organisms. This mechanism uses small RNA molecules in order to control which genes are active and how active they will be in order to destroy viruses. It actually is the most primitive form of immune system, much less sophisticated than what humans (and all other mammals) use. However, "going back to basics" seems to have positive results
in the study.
Unlike chemotherapy that kills the cancer cells, the new Alnylam drug prevents making new (cancerous) cells. And we all know that prevention is better than cure.
The second phase of the clinical trial will be conducted on 36 more patients with doses higher than in the first trial. If the results are positive, then Alnylam could be able to market the drug within the next 2 years.
We are very happy that ALN-VSP uses the immune system to cure cancer. However in a true holistic appr