Existing Cardiac Drug May Help Prevent Cancer from Spreading

One of cancer’s deadliest traits is its ability to spread to other organs. Now, a drug already used in the treatment of heart disease has shown potential to reduce the risk of metastasis by dissolving circulating clusters of tumor cells in breast cancer patients.

The Challenge of Treating Cancer Spread

Although treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy are effective against tumors, cancer cells can escape into the bloodstream, increasing the chances of forming new tumors in other parts of the body. This process makes the fight against cancer an ongoing challenge, significantly lowering patient survival rates.

Eliminating these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) before they settle in new tissues could be a promising strategy for improving prognosis. In 2019, researchers at ETH Zurich analyzed over 2,400 substances in lab cultures and identified digoxin, a compound originally extracted from the foxglove plant, as one of the most promising.

Clinical Trial Shows Positive Results

Recently, the team conducted a clinical study involving patients with metastatic breast cancer. Nine participants received low doses of digoxin for one week, and the results showed an average reduction of 2.2 cells per circulating cluster. While this may seem like a small change, the effectiveness of these cell clusters in forming new tumors is directly related to their size.

The success of breast cancer metastasis depends on CTC clusters, explained Nicola Aceto, principal investigator of the study. “The larger they are, the more successful they are in forming new tumors.”

Digoxin works by blocking ion pumps in the tumor cell membranes, leading to an excessive accumulation of calcium within the cells. This process causes the clusters to break apart, reducing their ability to trigger metastases.

A Potential Complement to Traditional Treatments

Although this approach is not a standalone solution for cancer, it could be used as a complement to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, which target the primary tumor, while digoxin would help prevent the disease from spreading.

Even though the study was conducted on a small group of patients, the results are encouraging, and clinical approval could be faster than usual, as digoxin is already widely used to treat heart conditions such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Additionally, previous research suggests that this substance may provide extra benefits, such as aiding in weight loss and reducing inflammation.

Scientists now plan to develop modified versions of digoxin to enhance its effectiveness and investigate its potential in other types of cancer prone to metastasis.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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