Unusual method of stomach cancer therapy revealedScientists have discovered a promising method in the fight against one of the most dangerous oncological diseases. Researchers have identified a new, non-standard approach to treating stomach cancer, which

Breakthrough in oncology: migraine medications may fight GI tumors. Researchers from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) made an unexpected discovery, published in the prestigious journal BMJ Oncology.

Scientists discovered the key role of nervous system components—the neuropeptide CGRP and its receptor RAMP1—in the mechanism of malignant tumor growth. These signaling molecules, which normally are responsible for transmitting nerve signals and regulating blood flow, become catalysts for cancer cell division and accelerate tumor progression during oncological processes.

During the experiment, researchers used genetic engineering methods to remove the RAMP1 receptor from tumor cells. The result was impressive—tumor growth significantly slowed down. Given that medications blocking CGRP activity are already widely used in migraine treatment, scientists proposed an innovative approach—to repurpose these drugs for cancer therapy.

Dr. Lisa Mielke, who heads the ONJCRI laboratory and was the senior author of the study, characterized the obtained results as a "new exciting research direction," allowing the nervous system to be considered as a target for anti-tumor therapy. She emphasized that drugs suppressing CGRP are well-studied and have a proven safety profile, which opens up the possibility for their rapid implementation in clinical trials in oncology practice.

Researchers note that their discovery creates the prospect of developing more gentle and comfortable treatment regimens for patients, capable of combining high effectiveness against tumors with minimal toxicity of time-tested medications.