Researchers at the Heart Research Institute (HRI) have made an exciting discovery: a drug originally developed to kill cancer cells, Conatumumab, could also be used to save the limbs of people suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).
PAD is a serious condition where arteries in the legs become narrowed, restricting blood flow and leading to painful symptoms and, in severe cases, amputations.
A pre-clinical study by HRI’s Center for PAD, published in Science Advances, found that Conatumumab can help treat PAD by promoting the growth of new blood vessels.
These new vessels effectively bypass the blocked arteries, restoring blood flow to the affected areas of the body. This finding could represent a major advancement in treating PAD, a condition that currently has very limited treatment options.
Dr. Siân Cartland, the lead author of the study, described the breakthrough as life-saving. “PAD is often overshadowed by heart attacks and strokes, so we know far less about it, and as a result, treatments are not as advanced,” said Dr. Cartland.
“The discovery that a drug, originally designed to target cancer cells, can also help restore blood flow in people with PAD gives us new hope of reversing the disease.”
PAD is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects one in five older Australians, and every two hours, a limb is amputated due to complications from the disease.
Current treatments focus mainly on slowing the progression of the disease, but there is no way to stop or reverse it. The discovery of Conatumumab’s potential to treat PAD could change that.
According to Associate Professor Mary Kavurma, who leads the HRI’s Center for PAD, the next steps could happen quickly.
Since Conatumumab has already been tested and proven safe for use as a cancer treatment, the research team can bypass some of the time-consuming safety studies and move directly toward human trials.
“This is a huge advantage,” said Kavurma. “Knowing the drug is safe allows us to proceed faster to the next stage of research.”
In their study, the researchers tested Conatumumab in preclinical models of PAD and on cells and arteries taken from PAD patients who had undergone amputations. The drug was shown to be effective in promoting blood vessel growth and restoring blood flow, making it a promising candidate for future treatment.
This discovery is part of HRI’s ongoing efforts to combat PAD, following the establishment of the Center for PAD earlier in 2024.
The center, which collaborates with major hospitals and universities in Sydney, is dedicated to researching PAD, recruiting patients for studies, and raising awareness about this often-overlooked condition.
The potential for Conatumumab to provide a new treatment option for PAD is a significant step forward in the fight against this debilitating disease, offering hope to many patients who currently face limited treatment options and the risk of limb amputation.
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The research findings can be found in Science Advances.
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