Aspirin Derivatives Inhibit Tumor Cell Growth

Preclinical in vitro studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) derivatives of aspirin and sulindac were up to 2,500 times more effective than their parent compounds in reducing the growth of colon and pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. Study results were presented at the 11th International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment in Paris.

Human colon and pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with sulindac and aspirin nitro-derivatives or their native agents at comparable concentrations. The effects on cell growth were determined by measuring cell proliferation (by flow cytometry), apoptosis, and cell cycle. The NO-releasing chemopreventive agents were developed by NicOx S.A. (Sophia-Antipolis, France). Although aspirin and sulindac are prototypical colon chemopreventive agents, their toxicity and attendant mortality hamper their wide application. NO-releasing agents may be safe alternatives.

"These first results in vitro are very promising and confirm the belief that our NO-releasing drugs could become important players in the prevention of colon cancer,” said Michele Garufi, CEO and chairman of NicOx.