Posted on 11/20/2022 7:44:22 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy indicated to fight tumors in many types of cancer. However, it does have major side effects—especially kidney toxicity, that can lead to acute kidney failure.
In addition, patients treated with cisplatin also often report high levels of neuropathic pain. Scientists have identified a drug that could be a game changer for patients.
Istradefylline, which is already approved for Parkinson's disease, could not only reduce the harmful effects of cisplatin but also improve its anti-tumor properties. These findings will now need to be confirmed in a clinical trial.
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy used to treat several types of cancer, in particular lung, ovarian and testicular cancers. While its anti-tumor efficacy has been proven, cisplatin promotes side effects. These include intense pain (peripheral neuropathy) and kidney damage, leading to acute kidney failure in one third of cases. Currently, there is no effective solutions to limit side effects for patients exposed to cisplatin.
The scientists focused on a drug called istradefylline, which is already approved in the USA and Japan for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Biologically, this compound blocks the adenosine receptors receptors at the surface of cells.
Blum's team, which is working on neurodegenerative diseases, had previously observed an increased density of these receptors in the brains of patients with dementia, a phenomenon involved in the development of these diseases. Interestingly, a comparable increase of adenosine receptors was also observed by Cauffiez's team in the kidneys, under exposure to cisplatin.
Their experiments, conducted on animal and cellular models, indeed pointed towards a beneficial role of istradefylline. In mice exposed to cisplatin, the molecule not only reduced kidney damages but also prevented neuropathic pain.
In addition, cisplatin's ability to reduce tumor growth was increased in the animals receiving istradefylline—an effect subsequently confirmed in cell models.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
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