New study finds cancer-fighting potential in a deworming drug

In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, scientists have discovered that a drug used to treat pinworms can stop and reverse the growth of a form of skin cancer.

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare but fast-growing cancer that is three to five times more deadly than melanoma. Response rates to current therapies – surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy – are limited, so effective and widely available therapies are needed.

Discovery of active ingredient capable of inhibiting cancer cells

The rate of Merkel cell carcinoma is increasing, although this type of cancer is rare, said lead study author Dr. Megha Padi, associate professor at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (USA), according to the medical news site News Medical.

A drug that treats pinworms can stop and reverse the growth of a form of skin cancer.

Illustration: AI

Pyrvinium pamoate (Pamoxan), a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat pinworms, was chosen for testing by researchers from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in collaboration with scientists from the VA Southern Arizona Hospital System, Harvard Medical School, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (USA) after identifying one of the pathways that promotes the transformation of normal cells into Merkel cell carcinoma. The results found that Pyrvinium pamoate is an inhibitor of this pathway, according to News Medical.

The researchers found that pyrvinium pamoate inhibited cancer cell growth and reversed the effects of cancer in laboratory models of Merkel cell carcinoma. It also reduced tumor growth in mouse models of Merkel cell carcinoma.

New discovery helps increase the ability to prevent cancer

Photo: AI

Dr. Padi hypothesizes that the reason antiparasitic drugs may be effective against cancer is because tumors are a bit like parasites in the body. Parasites and tumors grow by using nutrients from their host to feed themselves and multiply.

The authors said further research is needed to optimize treatment regimens to develop pyrvinium pamoate as a treatment for Merkel cell carcinoma. Furthermore, the drug has also been shown to have antitumor potential in a variety of cancers, including breast, colon, pancreatic, and bladder cancers.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghien-cuu-moi-phat-hien-kha-nang-tri-ung-thu-tu-mot-loai-thuoc-tay-giun-185250422161524794.htm