Uc Science Today

Sometimes in medicine, there are compounds that are found to be good for one thing, but not so great for another. That seems to be the case when it comes to a class of anti-inflammatory drugs known as NSAIDs. These include pain relievers like ibuprofen. Aldrin Gomes of the University of California, Davis explains that NSAIDs are known to be linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. But they’ve also found that NSAIDS seem to be beneficial in cancer. "In cancer, NSAIDS have been known to kill cancer cells. And it’s killing cancer cells by a similar mechanism as it’s killing the healthy cells, so it’s actually too good at doing a job. So, it’s ironic." Gomes and his team uncovered some of the reasons why NSAIDs can harm heart tissue – including reducing the heart cells’ ability to produce energy. Yet, Gomes says there are some papers showing that NSAIDs can be used to treat cancer. "And the reason for that is that it’s a similar mechanism as how it’s actually damaging the heart cells."