Scientists Identify New Drugs to Treat Childhood Eye Cancer

Newswise — Denver, Colo. – Investigators have discovered a new class of drugs that may more effectively treat retinoblastoma, a cancer of the retina that develops in children. The research is being presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Denver, Colo. Researchers used high-throughput screening to rapidly test 300 compounds for effectiveness against the eye cancer retinoblastoma. They identified a class of drugs called histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors that could selectively kill cancer cells and preserve normal cells.

Retinoblastoma develops most often in children under 2 years old. Though the disease has a high cure rate, more than half of children treated experience partial or complete loss of vision. New treatments that cure the eye cancer while preserving vision could improve the quality of life for children with the disease.

Abstract Title: Development and Delivery of Candidate Retinoblastoma TherapeuticsLocation: Exhibit HallPresentation Start/End Time: Sunday, May 3, 8:30 – 10:15am Abstract Number: 83 - A0115

# # #

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include nearly 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 75 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders. All abstracts accepted for presentation at the ARVO Annual Meeting represent previously unpublished data and conclusions. This research may be proprietary or may have been submitted for journal publication. Embargo policy: Journalists must seek approval from the presenter(s) before reporting data from paper or poster presentations. Press releases or stories on information presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting may not be released or published until the conclusion of the presentation.