In the study published March 5 in Nature, researchers found that aspirin inhibits a key immunosuppressive pathway linked to platelet-derived thromboxane A2, which suppresses T-cell activity and allows for cancer to spread.
The study, led by researchers from the U.K. and Italy, used mice to understand how cancer spreads and how the treatments might help. Researchers used normal mice as well as genetically modified mice with specific traits to see how their immune systems and tumors would respond to aspirin.
The researchers found that by blocking TXA2 production through aspirin or other cyclooxygenase-1 inhibitors, the immune system was better able to fight off metastatic cancer cells, reducing the spread of cancer to the lungs and liver in experimental models.
While the results from the study are promising, the researchers emphasized the need for further clinical studies to determine aspirin’s safety and effectiveness for cancer patients.
