Aspirin Derivatives Inhibit Tumor Cell Growth

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.