Inforegio - Irish study offers promise for chemo resistant lung cancer patients

18 October 2017

Irish scientists have discovered that a well-known drug used to treat alcohol addiction can fight chemotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer, offering promise to people suffering from the disease. Resistance to chemotherapy has become a significant challenge in the fight against lung cancer, which kills more people worldwide each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. But now, researchers from Ireland’s Trinity College Dublin and St. James’s Hos

Resistance to chemotherapy has become a significant challenge in the fight against lung cancer, which kills more people worldwide each year than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

But now, researchers from Ireland’s Trinity College Dublin and St. James’s Hospital, in collaboration with the Cancer Stem Cell Group at Dublin’s Coombe Hospital, may have found a way to tackle the problem.

Specifically, they discovered that using the alcohol aversion drug Disulfiram (Antabuse) in combination with chemotherapy was significantly more effective in killing certain lung cancer cells blamed for drug resistance and subsequent tumour recurrence compared to chemotherapy alone.

When used to treat alcohol addiction, Disulfiram prevents the body from metabolising such beverages and causes the individual in question to feel sick.

The results stem from a laboratory-based study funded by Molecular Medicine Ireland as part of the Clinical & Translational Research Scholars Programme, which receives support from the European Regional Development Fund.