Blood pressure drug could make leukemia more responsive to chemotherapy
Giving cancer patients losartan could make their chemotherapy treatments more effective and protect them from potential heart damage, according to a new analysis published in Science Translational Medicine.[1]
The study’s authors used losartan, a medication commonly prescribed to patients with high blood pressure, to inhibit the AGTR1 receptors of mice with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This idea came to the group once it identified the fact that leukemia and cardiovascular disease share a key similarity: they both target the AGTR1 gene.
The researchers found that losartan therapy significantly slowed the development of cancer in the mice, helping them survive longer, and it appeared to help protect their hearts from the potentially harmful side effects of undergoing chemotherapy.
“When we treated mice with the AGTR1 inhibitor losartan, we observed that this commercially available drug shows great promise in reducing AML development while protecting against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity,” Xunlei Kang, MD, PhD, an associate professor of medicine with the University of Missouri School of Medicine, said in a statement. “This finding shows great potential to enhance the success of chemotherapy while protecting the heart.”
“Mouse models of leukemia differ from human disease in several ways, including differences in the immune system, the bone marrow microenvironment and responses to treatments,” added first author Yi Pan, a PhD student. “We will now carefully interpret and validate these findings in human studies to ensure translational relevance.”
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.