Antidepressant May Inhibit Cancer Cell Growth
BRUSSELS (Dispatches) -- New research has shown that the antidepressant sertraline helps to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
This is shown by a study on cell cultures and lab animals performed by various research labs of KU Leuven, in Belgium.
Cancer cells use different biological mechanisms to stimulate their growth. In certain types of breast cancer, leukemia, skin cancer, brain tumours and lung cancer, among others, the malignant cells produce large amounts of serine and glycine, two amino acids. This production stimulates the growth of cancer cells to such an extent that they become addicted to serine and glycine.
In their search of a substance that influences the synthesis of serine and glycine, the researchers utilized a database of existing medicines. In a first phase, Professor Bruno Cammue’s research group at the Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG) tested 1,600 substances on yeast cells.
The screening showed that the antidepressant sertraline was the most effective substance. "Other studies had already indicated that sertraline has a certain anti-cancer activity, but there was no explanation for this yet,” mention researchers Shauni Geeraerts (LDMC and CMPG) and Kim Kampen (LDMC).
This is shown by a study on cell cultures and lab animals performed by various research labs of KU Leuven, in Belgium.
Cancer cells use different biological mechanisms to stimulate their growth. In certain types of breast cancer, leukemia, skin cancer, brain tumours and lung cancer, among others, the malignant cells produce large amounts of serine and glycine, two amino acids. This production stimulates the growth of cancer cells to such an extent that they become addicted to serine and glycine.
In their search of a substance that influences the synthesis of serine and glycine, the researchers utilized a database of existing medicines. In a first phase, Professor Bruno Cammue’s research group at the Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics (CMPG) tested 1,600 substances on yeast cells.
The screening showed that the antidepressant sertraline was the most effective substance. "Other studies had already indicated that sertraline has a certain anti-cancer activity, but there was no explanation for this yet,” mention researchers Shauni Geeraerts (LDMC and CMPG) and Kim Kampen (LDMC).