Chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia, is being tested against leukemia, a type of cancer that begins in the bone marrow and attacks white blood cells. Researchers at the Center for Natural and Human Sciences, of the Federal University of the ABC (UFABC), in Santo André, used a polymer to encapsulate chlorpromazine and thus create a nanostructured system that makes it easier for the drug to enter cells. The system proved effective in fighting leukemia cells in vitro (Pharmacological Research, September 2016). “The effect on the tumor cells was greater when the drug worked in conjunction with the nanostructure rather than alone,” says pharmacist Tiago Rodrigues, professor at UFABC and study coordinator, together with Professor Daniele Ribeiro de Araújo. Researchers at the university are currently doing animal testing and studying the mechanism of the drug, in partnership with the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
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