Cel Sci Corporation (CVM)

[eddie51]

New research suggests that a commonly used mood-stabilizing drug - valproic acid - could help reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer.

The research team, led by Dr. Johann Christoph Brandes of the Atlanta Veterans Medical Center and Emory University in Atlanta, GA, recently published their findings in the journal Cancer.

Valproic acid (VPA) is a medication used to treat epilepsy and manic-depressive illness, such as bipolar disorder.

However, the medication is able to block histone acetyl transferases (HATs) - enzymes that control gene expression by altering DNA structure. This is a process that occurs in the early stages of many cancers, including lung, bladder, prostate, and head and neck cancers.