The vast majority of all agents used to directly kill cancer cells (ionizing radiation,
most chemotherapeutic agents and some targeted therapies) work through either
directly or indirectly generating reactive oxygen species that block key steps in the
cell cycle. As mesenchymal cancers evolve from their epithelial cell progenitors,
they almost inevitably possess much-heightened amounts of antioxidants
that effectively block otherwise highly effective oxidant therapies. Also key to
better understanding is why and how the anti-diabetic drug metformin (the
world’s most prescribed pharmaceutical product) preferentially kills oxidantdeficient mesenchymal..
The article..