Israeli Scientists Claim To Have Developed a Cure For Cancer... and Their Research Looks Promising

A team of Israeli scientists claim to have discovered a treatment for cancer that they believe they will turn into a cure within the next year, The Jerusalem Post reported late Monday night. Researchers at Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd. (AEBi) say that their invention, dubbed MuTaTo (Multi-Target Toxin), combines cancer-targeting peptides – long chains of amino acids – with a strong peptide toxin that specifically destroys cancer cells. The proposed treatment attacks cancer cells across several receptor targets at once and also destroys cancer stem cells, which cause cancer to recur.

"We made sure that the treatment will not be affected by mutations; cancer cells can mutate in such a way that targeted receptors are dropped by the cancer," said AEBi CEO Dr. Ilan Morad, who described MuTatTo's efficacy in overcoming cancer defense mechanisms. "The probability of having multiple mutations that would modify all targeted receptors simultaneously decreases dramatically with the number of targets used. Instead of attacking receptors one at a time, we attack receptors three at a time – not even cancer can mutate three receptors at the same time."





A patent application, titled "Therapeutic Multi-Targeting Constructs" filed with the European Patent Office by Dr. Morad and AEBi Chief Science Officer Dr. Hanan Itzhaki last year seems to describe the research and technology behind MuTaTo. "The present invention relates to a construct comprising at least two different peptides binding to at least two different extracellular tumor antigens and at least one toxin, wherein the peptides and the toxin are covalently bound directly or through a carrier," the summary says. "The invention is based on an unexpected observation that a construct comprising two peptides binding two different targets on cancer cells and a toxin has an advantageous and, in some cases, a synergic cytotoxic effect in comparison to constructs having only one of these peptides."





The Post further reports that AEBi, which has carried out successful trials in mice, is currently writing patents for a broad array of peptides (and presumably peptide fragments) that will enable them to have an arsenal of anti-cancer tools to personalize for individual patients.





In an interview, AEBi board chairman Dan Aridor sounded optimistic about bringing the drug to market. "We believe we will offer in a year's time a complete cure for cancer," he told The Jerusalem Post, adding that "our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side-effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market. Our solution will be both generic and personal."







