In a recent study, Indian scientists have discovered that a compound derived from the fish oil is found to provide an effective remedy for leukaemia, which is also known as cancer of the white blood cells.

Having been encouraged by successful experiments on the mice, the researchers had applied for a patent of the compound and are now preparing to test the compound on human beings. The scientists are examining its efficacy in treating the terminal stage of the Leukaemia, known as the ‘Blast Crisis” for which there is no drug available at present.

The study was led by an Indian born scientist, Sandeep Prabhu, associate professor of immunology and molecular toxicology in the Department of Veterinary and Medical Sciences, Penn State (USA).

The compound in the fish oil is identified as delta-12-protaglandin J3, or D12-PGJ3 – is produced from EPA -- Eicosapentaenoic Acid -- an Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and in fish oil, Dr Prabhu said.

“Research in the past on fatty acids has shown the health benefits of fatty acids on cardiovascular system and brain development, particularly in infants. But we have shown that some metabolites of Omega-3 have the ability to selectively kill the leukaemia-causing stem cells in mice,” said Prabhu.

“The important thing is that the mice were completely cured of leukaemia with no relapse,” revealed the scientist.

The compound kills cancer-causing stem cells in the mice's spleen and bone marrow. Specifically, it activates a gene - p53 - in the leukaemia stem cell that programs the cell's own death. “p53 is a tumour suppressor gene that regulates the response to DNA damage and maintains genomic stability,” Prabhu said.

Killing the stem cells in leukaemia, a cancer of the white blood cells, is important because stem cells can divide and produce more cancer cells, as well as create more stem cells, Prabhu said.

The current method of treatment prolongs the life of the victim with many relapses without providing permanent cure. If they stop the drugs, the drug-resistant disease relapses as the drug can not kill the diseased stem cells for good in the human body.

In the year 2000, approximately 256,000 children and adults around the world developed some form of leukemia, and 209,000 died of it. About 90 per cent of all leukaemias are diagnosed in adults.