Appearing at the end of the 1980s, statins are prescribed to treat hypercholesterolemia. But they could also be used as an anti-cancer weapon, according to researchers at the Mas General Cancer Center (USA).
They discovered that cholesterol-lowering treatment could help prevent the development of cancerous tumors by blocking inflammatory proteins.
Their results were published in Nature Communications on May 30, 2024.
Interleukin-33 protein contributes to cancers linked to chronic inflammation
Initially, the researchers studied human tissue samples, epidemiological data as well as work on animals. They noticed that environmental toxins – such as those caused by exposure to allergens and chemical irritants – promote the production of a protein, called interleukin-33 (IL-33). However, the latter is known to stimulate inflammation of the skin and pancreas which can contribute to the development of cancer.
Indeed, analysis of human pancreatic tissues shows that IL-33 levels are higher in patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer compared to people without these pathologies.
The scientists then had the idea to see if a drug, already approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, had the ability to fight against this protein. They discovered that a statin, known as pitavastatin, effectively suppresses IL-33 expression by blocking activation of the TBK1-IRF3 signaling pathway.
Pancreatic cancer: a statin blocks protein production
Tests in mice showed that pitavastatin suppresses environmentally induced inflammation of the skin and pancreas. Additionally, the drug prevented the development of inflammation-related pancreatic cancers.
“Furthermore, in analyzes of electronic health record data from more than 200 million people in North America and Europe, pitavastatin use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of chronic pancreatitis and breast cancer. pancreas”specify the authors in a press release.
Thus, they believe that blocking the production of IL-33 with “pitavastatin may provide a safe and effective preventive strategy to suppress chronic inflammation and the subsequent development of certain cancers”.
“We aim to further examine the impact of statins in preventing cancer development in chronic inflammation of the liver and gastrointestinal tract and identify other novel therapeutic approaches to suppress chronic inflammation prone to cancer”adds lead author Dr. Shawn Demehri, principal investigator at the Center for Cancer Immunology and Cutaneous Biology Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.
