The addition of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide significantly increases the anti-cancer activity of aspirin and may mitigate the harmful effects of its daily intake, according to Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.
According to last year’s research, taking aspirin for at least two years reduces the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 63%. However, long-term aspirin intake can cause stomach ulcers and intestinal hemorrhages.
The intestinal epithelium protects itself against ulcers and bleeding by producing nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide. Imitating the function of the gut, Khosrow Kashfi of The City College in New York developed the NOSH aspirin, which dissolves in the gut and releases both gases.
Scientists tested the new drug on cells from 11 types of cancer, including colon, pancreas, breast, lung and prostate cancer. The anti-cancer effect of carbonated aspirin has been shown to be much stronger than that of regular aspirin – up to 100 times in colorectal cancer. Cancer cells stopped dividing and died.
The mechanism for such a huge improvement in efficacy is not yet clear, but the results indicate that much lower doses of the drug could be used.
In studies in mice implanted with human intestinal tumors, modified aspirin reduced the size of the tumors by 18 percent daily for 85 days. Human studies are expected to take two years.