Pancreatic cancer stem cells could be "suffocated” by an anti-diabetic drug

[IDemo]

LONDON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult forms of the disease to treat because its symptoms are often not seen until the cancer is at too late a stage.

Researchers have found, however, that they can target stem cells in the cancer using an anti-diabetic drug because it cuts off their ability to power themselves using oxygen. This is different than most cancers, which rely on glycolysis, generating energy with sugar rather than oxygen.

"We might be able to exploit this reliance on oxygen by targeting the stem cells with drugs that are already available, killing the cancer by cutting off its energy supply," said Dr. Patricia Santo, a researcher at Queen Mary University, in a press release. "In the long term, this could mean that pancreatic cancer patients have more treatment options available to them, including a reduced risk of recurrence following surgery and other treatments."

Pancreatic stem cells create energy using a process called oxidative phosphorylation, in which mitochondria use oxygen to power cells. The anti-diabetic drug metformin was found in lab studies to cut off this ability to convert oxygen to energy, effectively "suffocating" the stem cells.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2015/09/10/Pancreatic-cancer-stem-cells-suffocated-by-anti-diabetic-drug/3901441911583/

[rainbow fish]

1. I'm on metformin

Thanks for the information. Borderline diabetic. This is fascinating stuff.

[Warpy]

2. Metformin is turning out to be one of those breakthrough drugs

that has a tremendous number of off label uses, like aspirin turned out to be.

20% of the prescriptions written even now are for non diabetic uses.

[TexasProgresive]

3. Tell me more.

This is exciting news. I was taking Onglyzia which is thought by some to suppress an anti cancer response of the body. I don't know about that but it had zero effect on my sugars.