Orlistat, the generic name of Xenical and Alli , has been reportedly discovered to be able to kill cancer cells through binding with a protein called fatty acid synthase in tumor cells. This causes it stop functioning and the tumor cell eventually dies.

This protein is found in tumor cells that attack the brain, breast, colon, liver, lung and prostate.

“High levels of fatty acid synthase correlate with a poor prognosis, so it is a great treatment target,” assistant professor Steven Kridel, Ph.D., of Wake Forest University School of Medicine, was quoted as saying. “This makes an exciting treatment target because, theoretically, you don’t have to worry about harming nearby healthy tissue.”

Researchers say orlistat alone cannot treat cancer because while the drug can kill cancer cells in the lab, it is designed to act only in the digestive tract in humans. Now, the goal is to develop a drug like orlistat that can go through the bloodstream to the site of the tumor.

Wake Forest scientists have screened hundreds of thousands of compounds to find the ones that interact with cancer cells like orlistat does. They have narrowed down the list to a dozen and will now work to optimize the compounds to determine if they can create a potent cancer treatment.

Now losing weight has become more interesting – you’re not just aiming to become more in control of your weight, you’re also about to aim to be cancer-free if the researchers find a way to complete this effect of Alli on cancer cells.

via Ivanhoe

Tags: Alli, anti-cancer, tumor, orlistat