GUANGZHOU, China, March 27 (UPI) -- Chinese and Taiwanese scientists have identified a new mechanism by which non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs weaken tumor invasion and metastasis.
Researchers at China's National Sun Yat-Sen University and Taiwan's Kaohsiung Medical University said their findings provide new insights into the anti-cancer effects of NSAIDS.
NSAIDS have long been used to suppress pain and inflammation. But the new study found NSAIDs also "up-regulated" several anti-metastatic genes and tissue inhibitors in human lung cancer cells.
"Our results indicate that NSAIDs may … provide a new strategy for the treatment or prevention of cancer," said lead researcher Wen-Chun Hung of National Sun Yat-Sen University.
The study that included former Sun Yat-Sen University doctoral student Mei-Ren Pan, along with Hui-Chiu Chang and Lea-Yea Chuang of Kaohsiung Medical University, is reported in the April issue of the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine.
