A new study from Dartmouth Cancer Center has found that a widely used blood pressure drug may help cancer treatments work better.
The research, published in The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, shows that telmisartan, a medicine often used to treat high blood pressure, can improve the effects of an important cancer drug called olaparib.
Olaparib belongs to a group of medicines known as PARP inhibitors. These drugs are designed to target cancer cells by taking advantage of weaknesses in how they repair their DNA. DNA is like an instruction manual inside each cell, and when it becomes damaged, cells need repair systems to survive.
Some cancer cells already have problems with these repair systems, especially those with certain gene changes like BRCA mutations. PARP inhibitors work well in these cases because they push the cancer cells beyond their ability to fix themselves, leading to cell death.
However, not all cancers have these weaknesses. Many tumors can still repair their DNA effectively, which means PARP inhibitors are not helpful for all patients. Even in patients who initially respond well, the cancer can become resistant over time. This has limited how widely these drugs can be used.
The Dartmouth team, led by Dr. Tyler J. Curiel, wanted to find a way to make more cancers respond to this treatment. They discovered that telmisartan could help.
When used together with olaparib in laboratory studies, telmisartan made cancer cells more vulnerable. It increased the amount of DNA damage inside the tumor cells, making it harder for them to survive.
The researchers also found that the combination activated the immune system. It increased the production of molecules called type I interferons. These molecules act like signals that alert the immune system to attack cancer cells. This means the treatment not only damages the cancer directly but also helps the body fight it.
Another important finding was that telmisartan reduced a protein called PD-L1 inside cancer cells. This protein is often used by cancer to hide from the immune system. By lowering PD-L1 levels, telmisartan may help immune cells recognize and destroy tumors more easily.
Interestingly, this effect was unique to telmisartan. Other similar blood pressure drugs did not show the same ability to boost cancer treatment. This suggests that telmisartan has special properties beyond its usual role in controlling blood pressure.
One reason this discovery is exciting is that telmisartan is already widely used and known to be safe. It is taken by mouth, easy to use, and generally well tolerated, even in people who do not have high blood pressure. This makes it a strong candidate for use in cancer treatment without needing years of safety testing.
The researchers have already started clinical trials to test this combination in patients. One trial focuses on men with advanced prostate cancer, while another is studying patients with ovarian cancer that no longer responds to standard treatments. Early results are promising, with at least one patient showing a very strong response.
While these findings are encouraging, it is important to remember that most of the current evidence comes from laboratory and early clinical studies. Larger trials are needed to confirm how well this treatment works in different types of cancer and in a wider group of patients.
Overall, this study suggests a new and simple way to improve cancer treatment by combining existing drugs. It shows that medicines developed for one purpose can sometimes have unexpected benefits in other areas.
If future research confirms these results, more patients could benefit from treatments like olaparib, and doctors may have new ways to overcome drug resistance in cancer.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing higher intake of dairy foods linked to higher prostate cancer risk.
Source: Dartmouth Cancer Center.
