Geron Corp. is soon coming out with stem-cell technology which the company has been working on for over a decade. In 2009, this company received FDA’s approval to conduct early-stage clinical trials on a stem-cell based therapy.

The experimental drug, imetelstat, promises to curb the brain cancer, glioblastoma, and the researchers at University of Texas South-western Medical Centre claim.

The drug was tested on human cells and on rodents, and it gave some applauded results, showing that the medicine attacked not only the bulk of the tumor cells, but also the rare cancer stem cells that are believed to be responsible for most of a cancer's growth. In around 5 days time, the drug restricted 60 percent to 70 percent of the tumors. The study has been detailed in the January issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

Imetelstat is currently in six Phase I clinical studies, including breast and lung cancer.

"Because it attacks a mechanism that's active in most cancers, it might prove to be widely useful, especially when combined with other therapies”, said Jerry Shay, professor of cell biology.