This study included patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), such as mycosis fungoides, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (PTCLU) with isolated skin involvement. Twelve patients were studied. The patients were relapsed from previous treatments or “refractory to treatment.” The diagnosis was by biopsy.
In this study, the patients were treated with a medication, bortezomib, which is a pharmaceutical proteasome inhibitor. Proteasome inhibitors have been shown in clinical studies to be of benefit in multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, etc. Bortezomib was given by vein. Blood counts were followed carefully because of the toxicity of bortezomib to the bone marrow.
CONCLUSION: 67% of the 12 patients had a positive response to bortezomib, with two patients having complete remission. This study was small; but, it demonstrated the beneficial effects of proteasome inhibition in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, including mycosis fungoides. There was very little toxicity to bortezomib.
NOTE: The proteasome is an internal cellular structure made of enzymes made up of proteins which produce chemicals that can increase cancers. Proteasome inhibitors have, clearly, been shown to be effective against a number of cancers, including lymphomas.
Some proteasome inhibitors are natural plants which fight cancer. See Summary 223 for information on mate tea, green and black tea (Camelia sinensis) and curcumin or turmeric (Curcuma longa) as proteasome inhibitors. Summary 181 is about flavonoids as proteasome inhibitors. Green tea as a proteasome inhibitor is discussed in Summary 206. Read about apigenin, chrysin and luteolin and proteasome inhibition in tumors.
To read the author’s abstract of the article click to the link to the author’s title of the article above.
PMID: 17709797.
Summary #275.
