SAPPORO, Japan, Oct. 17 (UPI) — The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may have potential for reducing chemoresistance in cancer patients, researchers in Japan suggest in a new study.
The research was conducted by scientists from Hokkaido University. During the study, investigators analyzed human bladder cancer cells inoculated into mice, and found fluefenamic acid enhanced the effectiveness of anticancer drugs. The findings were published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“This latest research could pave the way for medical institutions to use flufenamic acid — a much cheaper cold drug — which has unexpectedly been proven to be effective at fighting cancers,” researcher Dr. Shinya Tanaka explained in a press release.
During the study, investigators analyzed cancer-infected mice over a 45-day period, noting metastatic tumors spread to the lungs, liver and bone. By using a microarray analysis of over 20,000 genes associated with the tumors, the researchers discovered a 3- to 25-fold increase in the levels of metabolic enzyme aldo-keto reductase 1C1, or AKR1C1. The same composition was found in tumors removed from 25 cancer patients. The study’s authors maintain AKR1C1 enhances tumor-promoting activites, and reduces the effectiveness of several anticancer drugs.
After identifying one of the main factors behind chemoresistance, the team tested flufenamic acid, an inhibitory factor for AKR1C1. The drug was found to suppress the invasiveness of cancer cells, and increased the effectiveness of the anticancer drugs.
Flufenamic acid is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, used for treating common colds. The drug is not normally sold in the United States, but is often offered as a generic in parts of Europe.
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