German scientists investigating chronic inflammation and immune responses to melanoma tumors in mice have found that treatment with sildenafil - Viagra's active ingredient - doubled their survival time compared to mice who did not receive the drug, a promising outcome for this common but deadly skin cancer.
"Our research approach is special because the disease takes a very similar course in mice as melanoma does in humans," Viktor Umansky, immunologist at DKFZ and University Medical Center Mannheim said.
Melanoma, like most cancerous tumors, creates chronic inflammation in its immediate vicinity, which can prohibit immune cells from reproducing and fighting the tumor off. By some mechanism, sildenafil is able to combat the inflammation and its immunosuppressive effects.
"Our aim is to reduce the chronic inflammations and, thus to support the immune system in actively fighting the cancer," Umansky said.
Results were pretty dramatic: "Of the mice that had been given the substance with their drinking water, more than twice as many were still alive after about seven weeks as of their untreated fellows. In the animals that had been treated, both the number of tumor-specific T cells and the level of activating molecules had returned to normal."
Does this mean that in the future, chemotherapy for cancer patients might include a Viagra cocktail? We'll drink to that.
"Our research approach is special because the disease takes a very similar course in mice as melanoma does in humans," Viktor Umansky, immunologist at DKFZ and University Medical Center Mannheim said.
Melanoma, like most cancerous tumors, creates chronic inflammation in its immediate vicinity, which can prohibit immune cells from reproducing and fighting the tumor off. By some mechanism, sildenafil is able to combat the inflammation and its immunosuppressive effects.
"Our aim is to reduce the chronic inflammations and, thus to support the immune system in actively fighting the cancer," Umansky said.
Results were pretty dramatic: "Of the mice that had been given the substance with their drinking water, more than twice as many were still alive after about seven weeks as of their untreated fellows. In the animals that had been treated, both the number of tumor-specific T cells and the level of activating molecules had returned to normal."
Does this mean that in the future, chemotherapy for cancer patients might include a Viagra cocktail? We'll drink to that.
