A remarkable UCLA study has uncovered an unexpected potential for antidepressants in cancer treatment. Researchers found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can significantly reduce tumor size and improve immune system response against cancer cells. The study tested these drugs across multiple cancer types, showing promising results in shrinking tumors by over 50%. This breakthrough could potentially revolutionize cancer treatment by repurposing widely used, safe medications.
May 22, 2025
Study finds common antidepressant can shrink tumour growth, fight cancer
"SSRIs don't just make our brains happier; they also make our T
cells happier" - Dr. Lili Yang, UCLA
US researchers have identified a widely used antidepressant drug that
could shrink the growth of tumour and help the immune system fight cancer.
Key Points
1 Antidepressants reduce tumor
size by over 50%
2 SSRIs enhance T cells'
cancer-fighting abilities
3 Study spans multiple cancer
types
4 Potential for repurposing
existing medications
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found
that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), best known for the role
they play in the brain, can significantly enhance the ability of T cells to
fight cancer.
In the study, published in the journal Cell, the researchers tested SSRIs
in mouse and human tumour models representing melanoma, breast, prostate,
colon, and bladder cancer.
They found that SSRI treatment reduced average tumour size by over 50 per
cent and made the cancer-fighting T cells more effective at killing cancer
cells.
"It turns out SSRIs don't just make our brains happier; they also
make our T cells happier -- even while they're fighting tumours," said Dr.
Lili Yang, senior author and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of
Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.
"These drugs have been widely and safely used to treat depression
for decades, so repurposing them for cancer would be a lot easier than
developing an entirely new therapy," Yang added.
Yang and her team first began investigating serotonin's role in fighting
cancer after noticing that immune cells isolated from tumours had higher levels
of serotonin-regulating molecules.
At first, they focused on MAO-A -- an enzyme that breaks down serotonin
and other neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine and dopamine.
However, because MAOIs have safety concerns, including serious side
effects and interactions with certain foods and medications, the team turned
its attention to a different serotonin-regulating molecule: SERT.
"Unlike MAO-A, which breaks down multiple neurotransmitters, SERT
has one job -- to transport serotonin," explained Dr. Bo Li, a research
scientist in the Yang lab.
"SERT made for an especially attractive target because the drugs
that act on it -- SSRIs -- are widely used with minimal side effects," Li
added.
Notably, combining SSRIs with existing cancer therapies also improved
treatment outcomes.
The combination significantly reduced tumor size in all treated mice and
even achieved complete remission in some cases, the researchers said.
To confirm these findings, the team will investigate whether real-world
cancer patients taking SSRIs have better outcomes.
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