Lipid lowering drugs kill cancer cells

Statins, drugs that are commonly used to lower cholesterol, can block proliferation and promote destruction of the oesophageal cancer cells in the laboratory. The oesophagus is the tube that carries food, liquids and saliva from the mouth to the stomach and adenocarcinoma is the most common type of oesophageal cancer. A rapid rise in the number of oesophageal cancers and deaths has been seen worldwide, leading many researchers to look for drugs that can prevent this cancer from occurring. Statins achieve this effect by inhibiting the signalling pathways that lead to the formation of the cancer cells. Prior research has shown that statins, which have a good safety record, can reduce the availability of various biosynthetic intermediate molecules that are critical for cancer cells. Using laboratory cultures of oesophageal cancer cells, British researchers found that adding simvastatin, lovastatin, and pravastatin reduced the number of viable oesophageal cancer cells and inhibited their growth in a similar dose-dependant manner. The higher the dose of the statin, the greater was the destruction of the cancer cells. Whether this might translate into a beneficial anti-cancer effect in patients, however, is unclear. According to the researchers, it is not yet possible to extrapolate from the laboratory studies to clinical scenarios. Further examination of statins or other agents that inhibit the same signalling pathways that lead to the formation of oesophageal cancer cells (in experimental models or in clinical trials with patients) needs to continue so researchers can better define the potential role of these drugs in prevention or treatment of oesophageal cancer.