Researchers at the University of Freilburg in Germany and the United Arab Emirates have collaborated to investigate the efficacy of a pulmonary hypertension drug, Ambrisentan, as a means to prevent tumor cell migration to other tissues. The team demonstrated in mice models that Ambrisentan reduced an aggressive form of breast cancer metastasis to the liver and lungs by 47% and increased survival when compared to control groups. Their results were published in Scientific Reports.
"The drug ambrisentan is an inhibitor of the endothelin type A receptor, which is known to play a role in vasoconstriction, so the drug is used to treat pulmonary hypertension [typically caused by autoimmune diseases such as lupus and systemic sclerosis]. In the laboratory, we found that the drug prevented migration of tumor cells to other tissues and had other effects we're still investigating," said Otávio Cabral Marques, principal investigator and researcher at the ICB-USP in Brazil.
Researchers focused their investigation on endothelin type A receptors, a cell type that comprises the inner layer of blood vessels and the immune system. Previous research has shown a close connection between this cell type and metastasis.
"The effects of the drug appear not to be confined to preventing tumor cell migration, but also to include inhibition of neoangiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels required to sustain tumor growth," Marques said. "We're currently doing experiments to confirm this. If so, the drug must have a systemic effect, preventing tumor migration to other tissues and inhibiting tumor growth by blocking the generation of new vessels."