Will Aspirin cream shrink tumours?
The Dutch team tested Aspirin’s effect by culturing human cells and “silencing” the CYLD gene to mimic the disease. They then added anti-inflammatory drugs to the cultures. They found the anti-inflammatory compounds appeared to stimulate the biochemical pathways involved in normal CYLD functions. Normal cell death and tumour suppression were restored, the researchers said. Two teams of Greek and Israeli researchers described the function of CYLD in the same issue of the journal. The Dutch researchers plan to test an Aspirin cream applied to scalp tumours to see if it shrinks them. “It’s important that we put the theory to test in patients as soon as we can,” Cancer Research UK’s Professor Alan Ashworth said. “We know inflammation can play a role in the development of a number of other cancers too, so it could be that Aspirin will find a range of uses as a cancer treatment.” Previous studies have suggested Aspirin may help prevent the growth of polyps that can lead to colon cancer. Aspi
