In world first, Israeli scientists find active ingredient in Viagra may stop cancer spread
Reporter at The Times of IsraelIn a surprising discovery, Israeli researchers say they have uncovered the biological mechanism in which Viagra, a drug best known for treating male erectile dysfunction, helps stop the spread of cancer.In peer-reviewed research, scientists at Weizmann Institute of Science showed that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, disrupts cancer cells’ cholesterol supply, a crucial material they need to metastasize to other organs.Dr. Yarden Ariav led the research in Prof. Ayelet Erez’s lab at Weizmann, along with researchers in Prof. Eytan Ruppin’s lab at the US National Cancer Institute, the Innovation Division at Israel’s national health provider Clalit Health Services, and physicians and scientists from Rabin Medical Center.The scientists’ findings, which appeared inJuly in Cancer Research, were based on mouse cancer models, cultures of cancer cells from human patients, and data collected over 20 years from some 5 million Clalit members.Survival rates were highest among the…
Israeli scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have discovered that sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, may prevent cancer metastasis by disrupting the cholesterol supply to cancer cells. The research, led by Dr. Yarden Ariav and Prof. Ayelet Erez, found that sildenafil obstructs an enzyme, leading to a chemical messenger spike that traps a cholesterol-transporting protein. When combined with statins, which lower cholesterol, the spread of cancer was further inhibited.
The real-world patient data “confirmed our findings in male mice for lung, colon and prostate cancer,” Erez told The Times of Israel by telephone.
The findings, published in Cancer Research, were supported by mouse models, human cancer cell cultures, and 20 years of data from 5 million Clalit Health Services members. The study showed the highest survival rates among patients who took both sildenafil and statins before diagnosis. Researchers emphasize the need for clinical trials, particularly for women with triple-negative breast cancer, to further explore this drug repurposing.
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