4 ms·

Mechanism behind aspirin protective effect against colorectal cancer identified

89 points by antiviral 3y ago

antiviral 3y ago
"Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) is the third most common form of cancer worldwide, with around 1.9 million newly diagnosed cases and 900,000 deaths every year. Therefore, preventive substances represent an urgent clinical need. Aspirin/acetylsalicylic acid has proven to be one of the most promising candidates for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Among other findings, studies have shown that when patients with cardiovascular diseases took low doses of aspirin over several years, it reduced their risk of colorectal cancer. Furthermore, aspirin can inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer. Now a team led by Heiko Hermeking, Professor of Experimental and Molecular Pathology at LMU, has investigated which molecular mechanisms mediate these effects."
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
blakesterz 3y ago
I was curious: "The jury is still out on whether aspirin has a future as a way to reduce the risk of cancers other than colorectal. Findings that regular aspirin use is associated with a reduced risk of other cancers "have been hit or miss,"... https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/research/aspirin-cancer-risk https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/resear...
elromulous 3y ago
This is encouraging. As someone with ulcerative colitis, I'm at increased risk for colorectal cancer, and cannot take NSAIDs, due to them paradoxically causing flare ups.
- Obscurity4340 3y ago
  What are your intestines/gut made of? How come they never like rupture or leak?
- InSteady 3y ago
  In case you aren't aware, aspirin is also an NSAID that causes GI upset (including bleeding) for some people.
glonq 3y ago
> Furthermore, aspirin can inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer Cool! Might be too little too late for me, but hopefully this can help improve prognoses for other people soon.
- jjkeddo199 3y ago
  Sorry to hear, wishing you well.
  - glonq 3y ago
    Thx! Also: get your asses checked early and often ;)
candiddevmike 3y ago
Don't read this and start taking daily aspirin without talking to your doctor. Aspirin isn't like a vitamin, it can cause serious problems with daily usage.
- AstralStorm 3y ago
  Well. A lot of people could benefit from a cardiovascular protective dose of aspirin. Like everything, it has side effects. Now whether that actually does anything to cancer risk or if it's too low... Needs further research.
  - vidarh 3y ago
    Yes, but it's not a great idea to start that either without talking to your doctor first. There are sufficient potential risks with ongoing aspirin use that it's not a given that it will be a net benefit for you even though it is for a lot of people.
  - nullindividual 3y ago
    This advice has been withdrawn due to the serious side effects of a daily low dose aspirin. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/default/files/file/supporting_documents/aspirin-cvd-prevention-final-rec-bulletin.pdf https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/d...
- esafak 3y ago
  Namely?
  - singlow 3y ago
    Ulcers, bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke, kidney or liver failure, other allergic reactions and interactions with other drugs.
    - NotGMan 3y ago
      Sounds kinda like the standard american diet.
car 3y ago
"Aspirin induces the production of two tumor-suppressive microRNA molecules (miRNAs) called miR-34a and miR-34b/c. To do this, aspirin binds to and activates the enzyme AMPK, which in turn alters the transcription factor NRF2 such that it migrates into the cell nucleus and activates the expression of the miR-34 genes. For this activation to succeed, aspirin additionally suppresses the oncogene product c-MYC, which otherwise inhibits NRF2."
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
DoreenMichele 3y ago
Cool. Now let's identify the root cause of the tumors. Based on some cancers being caused by viruses, I'm guessing viruses would be a good place to start looking.
- InSteady 3y ago
  A co-author of this study actually mentions this in the article. It is definitely being looked into. >"This is important because the p53-encoding gene is the most commonly inactivated tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer. In most other kinds of cancer, moreover, p53 is inactivated by mutations or viruses in the majority of cases."
  - pharaohgeek 3y ago
    Li-Fraumeni Syndrome is a genetic mutation of p53 that makes you more susceptible to various types of cancers. It's rare, in terms of number of people confirmed to have it, but is likely far more prevalent because it's not generally screened for. Interestingly, I'm told the reasons elephants don't (or rarely) get cancer is because they have 10 copies of p53, whereas humans only have 1.

89 points by antiviral 3y ago

"Colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) is the third most common form of cancer worldwide, with around 1.9 million newly diagnosed cases and 900,000 deaths every year. Therefore, preventive substances represent an urgent clinical need. Aspirin/acetylsalicylic acid has proven to be one of the most promising candidates for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Among other findings, studies have shown that when patients with cardiovascular diseases took low doses of aspirin over several years, it reduced their risk of colorectal cancer. Furthermore, aspirin can inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer. Now a team led by Heiko Hermeking, Professor of Experimental and Molecular Pathology at LMU, has investigated which molecular mechanisms mediate these effects."

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

blakesterz 3y ago

I was curious: "The jury is still out on whether aspirin has a future as a way to reduce the risk of cancers other than colorectal. Findings that regular aspirin use is associated with a reduced risk of other cancers "have been hit or miss,"... https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/research/aspirin-cancer-risk https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/resear...

elromulous 3y ago

This is encouraging. As someone with ulcerative colitis, I'm at increased risk for colorectal cancer, and cannot take NSAIDs, due to them paradoxically causing flare ups.

Obscurity4340 3y ago
What are your intestines/gut made of? How come they never like rupture or leak?
InSteady 3y ago
In case you aren't aware, aspirin is also an NSAID that causes GI upset (including bleeding) for some people.

glonq 3y ago

> Furthermore, aspirin can inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer Cool! Might be too little too late for me, but hopefully this can help improve prognoses for other people soon.

jjkeddo199 3y ago
Sorry to hear, wishing you well.
- glonq 3y ago
  Thx! Also: get your asses checked early and often ;)

candiddevmike 3y ago

Don't read this and start taking daily aspirin without talking to your doctor. Aspirin isn't like a vitamin, it can cause serious problems with daily usage.

AstralStorm 3y ago
Well. A lot of people could benefit from a cardiovascular protective dose of aspirin. Like everything, it has side effects. Now whether that actually does anything to cancer risk or if it's too low... Needs further research.
- vidarh 3y ago
  Yes, but it's not a great idea to start that either without talking to your doctor first. There are sufficient potential risks with ongoing aspirin use that it's not a given that it will be a net benefit for you even though it is for a lot of people.
- nullindividual 3y ago
  This advice has been withdrawn due to the serious side effects of a daily low dose aspirin. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/default/files/file/supporting_documents/aspirin-cvd-prevention-final-rec-bulletin.pdf https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/sites/d...
esafak 3y ago
Namely?
- singlow 3y ago
  Ulcers, bleeding, hemorrhagic stroke, kidney or liver failure, other allergic reactions and interactions with other drugs.
  - NotGMan 3y ago
    Sounds kinda like the standard american diet.

car 3y ago

"Aspirin induces the production of two tumor-suppressive microRNA molecules (miRNAs) called miR-34a and miR-34b/c. To do this, aspirin binds to and activates the enzyme AMPK, which in turn alters the transcription factor NRF2 such that it migrates into the cell nucleus and activates the expression of the miR-34 genes. For this activation to succeed, aspirin additionally suppresses the oncogene product c-MYC, which otherwise inhibits NRF2."

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

DoreenMichele 3y ago

Cool. Now let's identify the root cause of the tumors. Based on some cancers being caused by viruses, I'm guessing viruses would be a good place to start looking.

InSteady 3y ago
A co-author of this study actually mentions this in the article. It is definitely being looked into. >"This is important because the p53-encoding gene is the most commonly inactivated tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer. In most other kinds of cancer, moreover, p53 is inactivated by mutations or viruses in the majority of cases."
- pharaohgeek 3y ago
  Li-Fraumeni Syndrome is a genetic mutation of p53 that makes you more susceptible to various types of cancers. It's rare, in terms of number of people confirmed to have it, but is likely far more prevalent because it's not generally screened for. Interestingly, I'm told the reasons elephants don't (or rarely) get cancer is because they have 10 copies of p53, whereas humans only have 1.