Scientists find old antibiotic may selectively kill dangerous skin cancer cells

Source: Ecancernews, October 2018

An old antibiotic, called nifuroxazide, could selectively kill dangerous cells within melanomas, the deadliest type of skin cancer, scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh have found

The study, published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology, found the drug showed promise for complementing existing melanoma therapies.

The drug’s effect on melanoma cells was tested in mice and samples from human tumours and the scientists caution more research is needed to determine if it will be effective in people.