PITTSBURGH, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- University of Pittsburgh scientists say they've found aspirin might, in certain cases, help in the destruction of cancer cells.
The researchers report aspirin, combined with a promising new cancer therapy known as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, or TRAIL, can induce cancer cells previously resistant to TRAIL therapy to self-destruct.
The investigators say if their findings are replicated in larger studies, aspirin could become a routine therapy for helping prevent recurrence of many aggressive cancers, such as prostate and colon cancers.
"When cancers recur after initial therapy, they tend to be extremely aggressive and patient prognosis is poor," said Professor Yong Lee, lead author of the study. "If we could find ways to prevent these secondary cancers from occurring, we could save many lives."
TRAIL is a protein expressed by cells of the immune system. Studies have shown TRAIL induces programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in cancer cells while having little or no effect in normal healthy cells. Apoptosis is one of several mechanisms by which damaged cells self-destruct and is the body's way of ensuring that only healthy cells reproduce.
The study appears in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
