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Pregnancy Drug's Secret Cancer Weapon
18 Nov
Summary
- Hydralazine, used for high blood pressure, targets brain cancer.
- It disrupts survival signals for aggressive cancer cells.
- Discovery offers hope for new, safer cancer treatments.
A groundbreaking study from the University of Pennsylvania has uncovered a surprising new role for hydralazine, a medication primarily known for treating severe hypertension in pregnant individuals. This research, published in Science Advances, reveals the drug's mechanism in combating brain cancer, a connection previously unknown.
The study pinpointed that hydralazine directly interacts with a key enzyme, 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO). This enzyme acts as a rapid alarm system for cells, particularly responding to low oxygen levels by constricting blood vessels. However, hydralazine effectively silences this alarm, disrupting survival signals that aggressive cancer cells depend on.
This unexpected discovery offers a promising avenue for developing innovative and safer cancer therapies. The potential to repurpose an existing cardiovascular drug to treat brain tumors signifies a major advancement, potentially leading to more targeted and effective treatments for patients facing this challenging disease.
