Aspirin: A potential ally in combating cancer metastasis

A study in mice shows that aspirin may reduce metastasis by activating T lymphocytes capable of recognising tumour cells

Álvaro Soto

Madrid

Friday, 7 March 2025, 17:47

It is one of the oldest drugs on the market and among the most widely used, yet its benefits may extend beyond simply relieving headaches. Aspirin could reduce the occurrence of metastasis in mice by enhancing the immune response through the activation of T lymphocytes capable of recognising tumour cells, according to research published in Nature. This study paves the way for the development of effective anti-metastatic immunotherapies with the help of this medication.

Metastasis - the spread of cancer cells from a primary tumour to other organs - accounts for 90% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Cancer cells often develop ways to evade the immune system's surveillance, for example, by producing thromboxane A2 (TXA2) in blood platelets, which suppresses the activity of T immune cells in areas affected by metastasis. This suppression hinders the immune system's ability to effectively attack and eliminate metastatic cancer cells. Aspirin had previously been linked to a reduction in metastasis, but the mechanism behind this effect was unknown.

Until now, it was known that aspirin inhibits cyclooxygenase-1 (an enzyme involved in inflammation) in platelets and reduces the production of TXA2. The new findings reveal that this reduction in TXA2 alleviates T-cell suppression, thereby improving their ability to combat metastatic cancer cells.

These findings suggest that aspirin could serve as a relatively inexpensive, low-tech, and effective complementary therapy to prevent cancer metastasis by strengthening the natural immune response. Moreover, the researchers believe that in the future, aspirin could potentially be combined with other immunotherapies to further enhance its anti-metastatic effects.

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