- U.S. Births Declined in 2023, Marking End to Post-Pandemic Rise
- FDA Approves New Antibiotic Against UTIs
- New School Lunch Rules Target Added Sugars, Salt
- Dairy Cows Moved Across State Lines Must Now Be Tested for Bird Flu
- TikTok Riddled With Misleading Info on Health: Study
- Emulsifier Chemicals Are Everywhere in Foods. Could They Raise Diabetes Risk?
- Opioids During Pregnancy May Not Raise Psychiatric Risks for Offspring
- Could Heartburn Meds Raise Your Migraine Risk?
- Drug, Alcohol Abuse Goes Untreated in Many Ex-Prisoners
- Watchdog Group Says U.S. Food Recalls Rose Again Last Year
Cancer Drug May Be Helpful for Diabetes, Mouse Study Hints
SUNDAY, Sept. 15The cancer drug Zaltrap (aflibercept) could help treat diabetes, suggest findings from research using mice.
Scientists say they’ve identified a molecular pathway (a series of interactions among proteins) involved in the development of diabetes, and also found that the drug can regulate this pathway.
Zaltrap is approved in the United States to treat metastatic (spreading) colorectal cancer and the wet form of the eye disease macular degeneration. The drug inhibits the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, thereby blocking the growth of blood vessels into tumors and starving them of oxygen.
The researchers, from the Stanford University School of Medicine, identified a series of proteins that link VEGF inhibitors and blood glucose levels.
“We were surprised to find that this drug currently used in patients for cancer treatment had beneficial effects on diabetes in laboratory mice and could, potentially, in humans,” Dr. Calvin Kuo, a professor of medicine, said in a university news release.
Scientists caution, however, that research with animals often fails to provide similar results in humans.
“Proteins involved in this pathway could be targeted for the development of new diabetes therapies,” Amato Giaccia, a professor of cancer biology and director of radiation oncology, said in the news release.
The findings appeared online Sept. 15 in two articles in the journal Nature Medicine.
The researchers said there have been indications that VEGF inhibitors such as Zaltrap could influence blood glucose levels in people, but no human studies have been conducted.
“Anecdotally, there have been reports that diabetic patients who have been prescribed VEGF inhibitors to treat their cancer are better able to control their diabetes,” Kuo said.
Three co-authors of Kuo’s study are employees at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which makes aflibercept.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about diabetes.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.