Titanium base to cancer cure?

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 50

Titanium base to cancer cure?

NZPA-PA London The super-light metal that keeps the Concorde in the air could be the next cure for cancer, scientists have discovered. A new wonder drug based on titanium is being tested on cancer patients in West Germany, British scientists heard at their annual conference in Oxford. But the metal is so poisonous that it has to be pinpointed on the cancer cells, and medical staff have to wear protective clothing to make sure it does not enter their bloodstream. The new hope for cancer patients was unveiled at the British Association for the Advancement of Science. A senior researcher in biological chemistry at London University, Dr Peter Sadler, told scientists that precious metals like gold, titanium and platinum could be the key to curing the fatal disease. “Platinum, one of the world’s most expensive metals, has dramatically improved the cure rate

for testicular and ovarian cancers,” Dr Sadler said. Meanwhile, the new titanium drug was undergoing clinical trials in West Germany on patients with cancer of the colon. Gold compounds had also been found to combat cancer cells, he said. New gold compounds were “active against a range of animal cancers.” But he said: “At the moment the toxic side effects appear to be too great for them to enter clinical trials.” Dr Sadler warned that using precious metals in the battle against cancer was highly dangerous. He said research into the potential of other elements, including titanium, was in its infancy but the “signs are encouraging.”As well as gold, platinum and titanium, other heavy metals such as tin and lead could have similar cancer-curing properties, he said. Researchers were also investigating compounds including metals such as palladium, ruthenium and rhodium, he said.