Aspirin Study May Advance Cancer Treatment

Australian scientists said a study of the effects of salicylates, including aspirin, on human cells might lead to new treatments and drugs to fight cancer.

Professor Bryan Williams, director of the Monash Institute of Medical Research, led a collaborative study that showed treating human cells with salicylates inhibits protein synthesis.

Inhibiting or slowing down protein synthesis reduces the accumulation of incorrectly folded proteins in cells, which reduces cellular stress and allows protein synthesis to return to normal, Williams said.

Our research into the mechanisms by which salicylates inhibit protein synthesis could lead to the design of more effective aspirin-like drugs for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, Williams added.

The study is detailed in the April issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.