New research suggests Viagra could one day have a very different purpose from the one it is best known for.
According to Healthline, laboratory findings indicate that the drug's active ingredient, sildenafil, may reduce the ability of cancer cells to spread, although researchers stress that it is far too early to consider it a cancer treatment.
New findings
Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science and Clalit Health Services in Israel found that sildenafil affects how cancer cells process cholesterol.
The drug blocks a protein called NPC1, causing cholesterol to become trapped inside lysosomes instead of being used by the cells. Without access to this cholesterol, cancer cells struggle to move and form metastases.
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Tests involving breast, lung and colon cancer cells showed a reduced ability to spread. In mouse studies, researchers also observed fewer secondary tumors in the lungs.
Cautious optimism
According to Healthline, the researchers also analyzed health records from cancer patients and found that people who had taken Viagra before being diagnosed with cancer generally had longer survival than those who had not.
The apparent benefit was even greater among patients who were also taking cholesterol-lowering statins.
However, the researchers emphasize that this was an observational study and does not prove that Viagra was responsible for the improved survival.
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Clinical trials will be required before the drug could potentially be used as a cancer treatment.
Samah Hayek of the Clalit Research Institute told Healthline that the findings are encouraging but stressed that the study only examined Viagra use before a cancer diagnosis. As a result, cancer patients should not begin taking the medication based on these findings alone.
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