The study found that the drug caused
programmed cell death only in rapidly
dividing cells (typical of cancer) - not
normal resting T-cells.
Image: iStockphoto

Researchers in New Zealand have found that Novogen's anti-cancer drug, phenoxodiol, can cause cell death in the type of rapidly proliferating cells that are present in leukaemia.

The research at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington, New Zealand has focused on abnormally proliferating human T-cells which were observed to undergo programmed cell death when exposed to phenoxodiol.

The research makes phenoxodiol a candidate for treating leukaemia and auto-immune diseases and it is published in the Haematologica Journal of 16 June 2009. 

The research found that phenoxodiol did not affect normal resting T-cells but focused on abnormally proliferating cells.

Novogen's Group Director of Research, Professor Alan Husband, believes the research opens up potential for phenoxodiol to treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis as well as managing graft rejection in transplantation patients.