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New research reveals that taking aspirin is associated with limited nodal metastases and greater activation of anti-cancer immune cells in patients with colorectal cancer.
A new study published in Cancer reveals that aspirin has great potential in treating cancer, particularly in strengthening the immune system’s ability to fight certain cancerssuch as colorectal cancer (CRC), which is one of the cancers that has grown the most in recent years.
A substantial body of investigation, including a notable Harvard study, has suggested that a regular low-dose aspirin regimen could prevent about 11% of colorectal cancers and 8% of gastrointestinal cancers diagnosed annually in the USA.
Despite these promising findings, the exact mechanisms by which aspirin affects CRC growth and metastasis are unclear, and comprehensive long-term data are difficult to obtain.
The new research investigated this question by analyzing clinical and pathological records of 238 patients with CRC treated from 2015 to 2019. Among these patients, 31 were regular users of aspirin, taking 100 mg of the medication daily.
This group, called cohort METACCREunderwent detailed histological analyzes focusing on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), immunohistochemistry, and mutation data.
Other data were obtained from a subset of 130 patients from the IMMUNOREACT1 cohort, which focused on immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry.
The results revealed that regular aspirin use was associated with limited nodal metastases and a greater presence of TILs – T and B cells capable of recognizing and destroying cancer cells.
Particularly in the IMMUNOREACT1 cohort, people taking aspirin had significantly higher expression of epithelial CD80, a protein crucial for activation of anti-cancer immune cellseven in healthy rectal mucosa – a place that was not expected to be affected by aspirin, given its low bioavailability in that area, reveals New Atlas.
Aspirin may therefore have a dual role in prevention or treatment of cancer. Not only does it inhibit inflammation, it also appears to increase the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack CRC cells, thereby limiting tumor spread and potentially serving as a valuable immunotherapy tool.
Research suggests that aspirin’s impact on cancer may go beyond its known anti-inflammatory effects, leading to a re-evaluation of how to optimize its administration into the colorectal tract to maximize its anti-cancer benefits.
