A new study suggests that statin therapy could help prevent inflammatory-related cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer.
- Statin
medications help keep cholesterol levels within a healthy range, but
researchers are interested in other uses for these medications.
- Inflammation
is one risk factor for certain types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer.
- A
recent study found that using the statin pitavastatin may assist in
blocking a particular protein’s action to suppress chronic inflammation.
- The
findings suggest that statin therapy could potentially
prevent inflammatory-related cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer.
Cancer
prevention is a major field of research, and experts are continuing to learn
more about what factors may contribute to cancer development.
One area
of interest is how chronic inflammation in certain areas of the body may contribute to
cancer risk.
A recent
study published in Nature Communications examined some of the pathways
involved in developing chronic inflammation.
The
results suggest the statin drug pitavastatin could help suppress chronic
inflammation and prevent pancreatic cancer development. If future research confirms the findings,
this drug could be a preventive measure in clinical practice.
What
are statins used for?
Statins are typically prescribed to
help lower cholesterol levels in people whose “bad” cholesterol
levels are too high.
Statins
can be used in combination with lifestyle changes to help keep cholesterol in a
healthy range. For example, people may minimize their saturated fat intake and increase their physical
activity levels.
Non-study
author Dr. Robert Salazar, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann,
explained the following to Medical News Today:
“Statins are typically used to manage high cholesterol in
patients at elevated risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD.)
Generally speaking, a statin is started when a patient’s individual risk of
heart attacks, strokes or peripheral arterial disease is high. Statin
medications are also started when measured blood cholesterol levels are high or
after a stroke or heart attack. The effectiveness of statin drugs is then
checked using a follow up blood cholesterol level to ensure an adequate
response.”
Alternative
uses for statins for other health conditions are an ongoing area of research.
Effects
of statins on inflammation, cancer
Researchers
of the current study note that chronic inflammation contributes to cancer
development.
Several
inflammatory conditions contribute to an increased cancer risk. For
example, chronic pancreatitis (an inflammation of the
pancreas) raises the risk of
pancreatic cancer.
The
researchers of the current study note that interleukin 33 (IL-33) is one
protein that helps initiate cancer-prone chronic inflammation. They wanted to
understand more about the underlying mechanisms involved in this relationship
and whether there was a way to alter it.
Researchers
utilized mice, human tissue samples, and cell lines. They induced chronic
inflammation in mice on the skin and in the pancreas. They found that IL-33 was
highly expressed in the inflamed skin and pancreas.
Based on
further analysis, they identified that inflammation induction activated a
specific signaling pathway called TLR3/4, suggesting that this pathway may
cause the IL-33 expression that occurs in chronic inflammation. They further
identified another cellular mechanism, TBK1-IRF3, regulating IL-33 expression
in chronic pancreatitis and dermatitis in mice.
Researchers
then tested the use of pitavastatin to block IL-33 expression. Their work suggests
that pitavastatin may successfully block IL-33 expression and, thus, the
related chronic pancreatitis.
While
looking at human tissue samples, they further confirmed that the IRF3-IL-33
signaling axis is active when the pancreas is inflamed and in cases of
pancreatic cancer.
Finally,
researchers looked at electronic health records from over 200 million people to
look at the use of pitavastatin and the risk for pancreatic cancer. Researchers
found that people taking pitavastatin were at a decreased risk for chronic
pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Study
author Shadmehr Demehri, MD, PhD, explained the key findings of the
research to MNT:
“15–20% cancer death worldwide relate to cancers that develop in
the context of chronic inflammation. We set out to determine what factor
initiates the development of chronic inflammation in various organs. Based on
our discovery that an immune factor, called interleukin 33, is the driver of
cancer-prone chronic inflammation, we investigated the cellular mechanism that
regulates the expression of this immune factor. Our findings, reported in the
current publication, reveal this mechanism and demonstrate how [a] statin drug
can block this immune factor expression in experimental models and prevent
chronic inflammation and cancer in them. Interestingly, we find statin use by
patients (to treat high cholesterol) associates with reduced risk of
pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas) and reduced risk of pancreatic cancer.”
The study
demonstrates another potential use for statins in the future. Salazar noted the
following:
“This
study and its findings are quite compelling in demonstrating additional
benefits from statin drugs that are independent of cholesterol levels. In
particular, lowering inflammation further protects patients from negative
outcomes including heart attacks, strokes, dementia, autoimmune disease, premature aging and cancer.”
More
studies on statins and cancer prevention needed
This
preliminary research requires more research before these concepts can reach
practical clinical application.
Since it
relied on components like mouse models, it’s not perfectly clear how the data
applies to humans. The research from patient health records was also from North
America and Europe, so more diversity may be needed in this research area.
“It
is critical to examine statin efficacy for cancer prevention in chronic
inflammation directly in patients through clinical trials,” Demehri said.
“We also
aim to extend our work to encompass the array of chronic inflammatory diseases
that render patients prone to cancer (e.g., ulcerative colitis and hepatitis) to help prevent cancer in all patients affected by chronic
inflammation.”
If future
research continues to confirm the findings, it could benefit clinical practice.
Non-study author Anton Bilchik, MD,
PhD, surgical
oncologist, chief of medicine, and director of the Gastrointestinal and
Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute in Santa
Monica, CA, noted the following to MNT:
“The findings are very provocative because pancreas cancer is a
deadly cancer with limited treatment options. If the anti-inflammatory effect
of statins can reduce the chance of developing pancreas cancer particularly in
high risk patients this will be practice changing and play an important role
not only in reducing the risk of heart attacks but also in cancer prevention.”
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