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MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — According to the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the National Institutes of Health has funded their College of Pharmacy Professor Dr. Khalid El Sayed’s research about a new treatment for prostate cancer recurrence.

The university reported that researchers there are creating what they hope will be a novel approach to fighting prostate cancer. The school said researchers ferment a fungus in a flask, extracting an odd-colored liquid. They shared how researchers separated a target compound in test tubes through a series of steps, and each time the liquid became clearer.

According to the university, the goal is to get the purest form of pseurotin A, a natural product in the fungus, possible. They said the work is tedious and expensive. The two-year grant provides 182,419 dollars for year one and 164,794 dollars for year two. 

The university stated that prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second-highest cause of death among American men. The university also reported that about one in nine men would be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and one in 41 men would die.

El Sayed said standard treatment involves surgery, radiation, followed by chemotherapy. He explained that prostate cancer is particularly aggressive and often recurs, and researchers have limited preventive options. El Sayed said patients who suffer a cancer recurrence have only a 29 percent chance of surviving. 

“It’s hard to design a recurrence deterrence because the recurrence mechanism is not fully understood,” El Sayed said. “Numerous patients die from the chemical in the chemotherapy used to treat tumors.” 

According to the university, to do the research in ULM labs, El Sayed acquired a supply of fungus that produces pseurotin A. The school shared that El Sayed and his research team invented a new cancer recurrence model treating lab mice with pseurotin A. According to the university, the success is evident that El Sayed applied for the grant money to continue the research.

El Sayed said of all the grants the National Institutes of Health received in this cycle, the agency views this as one of the most important related to practical implementation and expected outcomes. The university shared that he doesn’t expect to see this research project applied in clinical practice for at least five years.

“We have intense research to do before reaching the application to humans,” El Sayed said. The university reported about if the research continues to show promise, follow-up grants through the National Institutes of Health are possible.

“Every project is very expensive,” El Sayed said. “My job is to secure more funding to continue quality natural products research at ULM.”