December 11, 2006 - Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center –

Recent study at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center showed that popular erectile dysfunction drugs (Viagra, Levitra and Cialis) may also help human organism find and destroy cancer cells. The scientists say that the drugs’ ability to affect the production of neurotransmitters NO (nitric oxide) results not only in penis erection, but also in unmasking the cancer cells, so that the immune system can find and destroy them.

The suggestion is based on the results of the test on mice with implanted colon and breast tumors. During the test, tumors in animals, treated with sildenafil (active ingredient of Viagra), decreased significantly in comparison to those mice, which did not receive sildenafil. The scientists say that the size of tumors decreased two-fold and even three-fold and they believe it is due to the influence of sildenafil on the immune system of mice.

As a part of experiment researchers also tested mice with the disabled immune system. In this case, the tumors were not reduced or otherwise changed under the influence of sildenafil. So, the scientists suggest that the drug does not affect cancer cells directly, but stimulate the immune system of the organism to fight cancer.

The scientists investigated the process of producing nitric oxide by special cells, called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These cells produce NO in order to signal the immune system that the danger of foreign materials invasion has passed away and the body protection system may return into the “stand-by mode”. The point is that cancer cells can exploit this process in order to lull the vigilance of the immune system and stay unnoticed by the natural body guards of the organism.

The impotence drugs seem to reverse the above described process: they make the MDS cells stop producing nitric oxide and allow immune system to “see” the cancer cells and attack them. Thus, sildenafil does not fight cancer cells by itself; it only helps the organism switch on its own protection system and use it against cancer cells.

“Impotence drugs won’t cure cancer,” one of the researchers noted, “but could be used in addition to standard chemotherapy or immunotherapy treatments.”

Nitric oxide is gaining popularity and importance in the medical circles nowadays. Its ability to transmit wide range of signals from central nervous system to different body organs and systems requires further detailed researching. In order to continue the investigation of the influence of erectile dysfunction drugs on the immune response to the cancer cells, human clinical studies are expected next year. In case of their positive results, the range of health benefits of Viagra and Co. may be added with the cancer-fighting ability.

Nick

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External resources
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/news/index.cfm?documentid=842&newsty...
http://www.jem.org/cgi/content/full/203/12/2691
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=58650

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