Medical researchers are constantly searching for new ways to fight cancer. Developing entirely new drugs can take many years and cost enormous amounts of money.
Because of this, scientists are increasingly interested in finding new uses for medicines that are already available. Sometimes a drug designed for one condition turns out to have surprising benefits for another.
A new study from Finland may be an example of this. Researchers from the University of Oulu and the University of Eastern Finland have discovered that medications commonly prescribed for anemia may also interfere with processes that help cancer grow.
Their findings, published in Redox Biology, suggest that these drugs deserve further investigation as possible partners in future cancer treatments.
Anemia is a condition that occurs when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. When their numbers fall, people may experience fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and reduced physical stamina.
Anemia is particularly common among cancer patients. Some tumors interfere with normal blood production, while chemotherapy can damage the bone marrow where blood cells are made. As a result, many people undergoing cancer treatment struggle with both cancer and anemia at the same time.
The drugs examined in this study are called HIF-PHIs. They are currently used to help people with chronic kidney disease produce more red blood cells. These medications work by influencing how cells respond to oxygen availability.
Under normal circumstances, cells contain systems that monitor oxygen levels. When oxygen becomes scarce, the body activates protective responses that help maintain normal function. HIF-PHI drugs mimic some of these effects, encouraging the production of hormones that stimulate red blood cell formation.
Researchers expected the drugs to affect only these oxygen-related pathways. Instead, they discovered something much more surprising.
The team found evidence that the medications could reduce cell growth and limit the formation of new blood vessels even when the usual oxygen-sensing proteins were not involved. This suggests that the drugs may have additional effects that scientists did not previously understand.
The formation of new blood vessels plays a crucial role in cancer development. Tumors need oxygen and nutrients to survive. To meet these needs, they often trigger the growth of new blood vessels that feed the cancer. Without an adequate blood supply, tumor growth becomes much more difficult.
The researchers observed that HIF-PHI drugs appeared to interfere with this process. They also found evidence that the medications slowed cellular growth, another important factor in cancer progression.
Professor Thomas Kietzmann, who led the study, described the findings as unexpected. The research team initially assumed that all effects of the drugs would be explained by their known role in oxygen regulation. The discovery of additional biological actions suggests that scientists may need to rethink how these medications work inside the body.
This could have important implications for cancer care. Because anemia is so common among cancer patients, doctors often need to manage both conditions simultaneously. If HIF-PHI drugs eventually prove capable of helping with both problems, they could offer a more efficient treatment strategy.
Researchers believe the medications might be especially useful when combined with conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Instead of replacing existing therapies, the drugs could potentially enhance treatment plans by addressing anemia while also affecting pathways involved in tumor growth.
Despite the excitement surrounding the findings, the researchers stress that much work remains to be done. The current study was conducted in laboratory settings and focused on biological mechanisms rather than patient outcomes.
Clinical trials will be necessary to determine whether the same effects occur in people and whether they lead to meaningful improvements in cancer treatment.
The research team is actively seeking partnerships with cancer specialists and hospitals to move the work into clinical testing. Such collaborations will help determine whether the laboratory findings can be translated into real benefits for patients.
One major advantage of this research is that the drugs involved are already approved for medical use. This may shorten the path toward clinical testing compared with developing an entirely new medication. However, laboratory discoveries often look more promising than the results eventually seen in patients, so caution remains necessary.
The study’s greatest contribution may be its demonstration that familiar medicines can still hold unexpected secrets. By uncovering previously unknown effects on cell growth and blood vessel formation, the researchers have opened the door to new questions about how these drugs work and how they might be used in the future.
The findings do not yet prove that anemia drugs can treat cancer. However, they provide a strong scientific reason to investigate further. If future clinical trials confirm the results, patients with both cancer and anemia could potentially benefit from a treatment approach that tackles two serious health challenges at the same time.
The study was published in Redox Biology.
Source: University of Oulu and University of Eastern Finland.
