Deadly combination: a medication Cocktail from turning cancer cells the juice
Researchers have found that a commonly used Diabetes drug in combination with a preparation for the treatment of high blood pressure inhibits cancer growth. In addition, this drug Cocktail cuts off the energy supply of cancer cells and kills them.
More and more cancer diseases
According to health experts, more and more people are developing cancer. According to the world cancer report from the International Agency for research on cancer (IARC), it could come in the world up to the year 2025 annually to 20 million cancer new cases. In this country, the number of new Diagnoses has doubled since 1970, almost. However, more and more people survive nowadays, cancer diseases. This also has to do with the fact that new insights are gained, such as cancer can be treated. Currently, researchers report on a study that showed that a particular drug Cocktail to cancer cells.
Energy supply of cancer cells will be capped
The often-prescribed Diabetes drug Metformin not only lowers blood sugar levels, but also acts against Parkinson’s disease, as researchers from Tübingen reported in the past year.
In addition, it also has a cancer-inhibiting effect. However, the common dose is for the treatment of Diabetes, to low, to slow the cancer growth, reports the University of Basel, said in a statement.
Researchers led by Prof. Michael Hall at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel were able to show in an earlier study, that the blood of reinforced pressure-lowering drug Syrosingopin the cancer inhibitory effects of Metformin.
In a follow-up study, which was recently published in the journal “Cell Reports”, the scientists now report that this drug Cocktail cuts off the energy supply of cancer cells.
The resulting lack of energy is driving the cancer cells finally, in the “suicide”.
Particularly high energy demand
As the experts explain, have cancer cells needs due to your increased metabolism and rapid growth, a particularly high level of energy.
A limiting factor of the molecule NAD , which plays a Central role in the conversion of nutrients into energy.
“To keep the energy-producing machinery, constantly on the Run, must NAD continuously produced from NADH,” explains Don Benjamin, first author of the study.
“Interestingly, both Metformin as well as Syrosingopin prevent the Regeneration of NAD , but on two very different Paths.”
Action taken under the magnifying glass
Many tumor cells shift their metabolism in the direction of the sugar burning, which means you win to lactate their energy mainly through the breakdown of glucose.
When lactate accumulates in the cell, this degradation Pathway, however, is lame. Therefore, it also locks the cancer cells with specific lactate transporters out of the cell.
“We have now found that Syrosingopin off the two most important transporters and the Export of lactate out of the cell prevents,” says Benjamin.
“A high lactate concentration in the cell stops, in turn, the Recycling of NAD .”
Deadly Combination
According to the researchers, the anti-diabetic drug Metformin blocks the second path of the Regeneration of NAD .
Therefore, the combined treatment with blood pressure lowering drugs leads to a complete loss of the NAD -Recycling capacity.
The NAD deficiency will kill the cell eventually, as they can no longer produce enough energy.
The inhibition of lactate transporters by Syrosingopin or other, similarly acting drugs have improved the Anti-cancer effects of Metformin and seems to be a promising approach to combat cancer, the researchers say. (ad)