Boston, Massachusetts – A recent study conducted by researchers at Mass General Cancer Center has revealed promising findings in the fight against cancer. The study suggests that statins, commonly used to lower cholesterol, may have the potential to block a pathway linked to cancer development caused by chronic inflammation, particularly in the skin and pancreas.
Senior author Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD, emphasized the significance of chronic inflammation as a major contributor to cancer globally. Through the study, Demehri and his team investigated how environmental toxins trigger cancer-prone chronic inflammation in the skin and pancreas, aiming to find safe and effective therapies to combat this pathway and suppress inflammation-induced cancer.
Utilizing cell lines, animal models, human tissue samples, and epidemiological data, the researchers pinpointed two interconnected signaling pathways activated by environmental toxins, leading to the production of the interleukin-33 (IL-33) protein. This protein triggers inflammation in the skin and pancreas, contributing to cancer development.
The study’s highlight was the discovery that a statin called pitavastatin effectively suppresses IL-33 expression by blocking a specific signaling pathway, TBK1-IRF3. In mice, pitavastatin successfully inhibited environmentally-induced inflammation in both the skin and pancreas, preventing the onset of inflammation-related pancreatic cancers.
Further analysis of human pancreas tissue samples confirmed the over-expression of IL-33 in patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer compared to normal tissue. Additionally, the use of pitavastatin was associated with a reduced risk of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer based on electronic health records data from millions of individuals across North America and Europe.
The implications of these findings suggest that inhibiting IL-33 production with pitavastatin could serve as a safe and effective preventive measure to suppress chronic inflammation and prevent the development of certain cancers. Moving forward, the research team plans to investigate the impact of statins in preventing cancer development in chronic inflammation in other organs and explore additional therapeutic approaches to address cancer-prone chronic inflammation.