A small study indicates that a group of ancient medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may help slow the spread of prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer patients with diabetes who were receiving a kind of drugs called thiazolidindions, targeting the main BBAR-Jama protein in organizing metabolism, did not suffer from setbacks during their follow-up period,” said Dr. Lucas Kenner of the University of Omeia in Sweden, who is studying in a statement. “This is an important discovery,” he added.
By working on the BBAR-Jama, these drugs help the body to use insulin more effectively, which reduces blood sugar levels.
With 69 patients who underwent topical prostate cancer surgery, including 49 diabetes, researchers found that after 10 years, the three patients with diabetes and who were taking thiazolidindes were the only ones who were no longer cancer.
In the laboratory analysis, the researchers noted that the medicine of Pioglizon, which is sold in the name of Actos from Takaida Varmasiotics, was not only limited to inhibiting the division of prostate cancer cells and their growth, but also stimulated a metabolic programming for it, which weakened its ability to continue and spread.
“Our results are putting bioglizon and similar metabolic drugs at the forefront of the treatment strategies arising from prostate cancer,” the researchers said in a report published in the journal (Macliolar Kanser) or molecular cancer.
However, they pointed out the need for broader and longer studies to determine the effect of thiazolidids completely “on the growth, development of prostate cancer, development and survival of the patient.”