The blood pressure drug telmisartan could enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment

The drug, telmisartan, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to reduce heart attacks and strokes. Stroke risk In some patients.

But the drug was also found to improve the effectiveness of a cancer treatment called olaparib, which could help more types of patients benefit from it.

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In laboratory and animal models, researchers at Dartmouth Health in New Hampshire found that telmisartan causes more damage to the DNA of cancer cells, thus helping the immune system recognize and attack certain types of tumors.

“This study shows that a common, safe, acceptable, convenient and inexpensive drug may significantly improve how well an important class of Cancer treatments “It works,” lead study author Tyler J. Curiel, MD, a clinical researcher at Dartmouth, said in the statement.

An inexpensive blood pressure drug could improve the health of cancer patients, a pre-clinical study shows. (Istock)

This pair of drugs increased the production of type I interferons, molecules that help the immune system recognize them Attack canceraccording to the study’s press release.

“This immune activation appears to be the main reason why this combination works,” Curiel said.

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Telmisartan has also been linked to decreased levels of PD-L1, a protein found in cancer cells that helps them escape immune attack.

Other types of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) – the class of drugs into which telmisartan is grouped – did not have the same anti-cancer properties.

The drug, telmisartan, is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in some patients. (Istock)

“Telmisartan has many advantages Anti-cancer effects “This, combined with targeted therapy, can make tumors more responsive to different types of treatments,” Curiel said.

“We showed improved efficacy with PARP inhibitors in this study, but we also have good data showing that telmisartan improves the efficacy of distinct classes of chemotherapy and immunotherapies in many other cancers through related mechanisms.”

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The results were published in the Journal of Cancer Immunotherapy.

“Telmisartan has several distinct anti-cancer effects, which, combined with targeted therapy, can make tumors more responsive to different types of treatments,” the researcher said. (Istock)

Joshua J. Cohen, MD, medical director of the Women’s Cancer Program at City of Hope of Orange County in Irvine, California, was not involved in the study but shared his reaction to the finding.

“While there have been previous concerns that ARBs may increase cancer risk, large studies have shown that they do not, and are considered safe for patients who need them,” he told Fox News Digital.

Study limitations

The main limitation of the study is that it relied on Laboratory models It did not include any human patients.

“At this point, the idea is still very early in development, and the evidence is coming primarily from laboratory studies, not studies in humans,” Cohen told Fox News Digital.

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While telmisartan has been shown to be effective against tumors Damaged DNAThe researchers found that it may not work well in cancers that do not have these defects. Most cancers may also develop resistance to olaparib over time, causing it to become less effective.

While telmisartan has been shown to be effective against tumors with damaged DNA, it may not work as well in cancers that do not have these defects. (Istock)

No long-term outcomes or survival data are available yet.

“More research — including clinical trials — is needed to determine whether combining telmisartan with PARP inhibitors is safe or effective for patients with diabetes.” Ovarian cancer treatmentCohen said.

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“Patients who are considering taking these medications together should talk with their cancer care team, who can help them understand what is known, what is still uncertain, and what is safest for their individual condition.”

Looking forward

Researchers at Dartmouth are currently testing the effect of telmisartan on patients in two clinical trials.

One study is testing the drug combination in men with Advanced prostate cancer That stopped responding to hormonal treatment. The researchers participated in a second study, which focused on ovarian cancer that was no longer responding to platinum-based chemotherapy, and had just begun enrolling patients.

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“We are encouraged by what we are seeing so far,” Curiel said. “Our goal is to determine whether this combination approach can help more patients benefit from greater efficacy of PARP inhibitors and other cancer treatment classes and potentially overcome antibiotic resistance.” These medications“.

The researchers noted that telmisartan is generally safe and well-tolerated based on previous clinical use.