An international group of scientists, led by the Medical University of Vienna, has found that a common diabetes drug could also help treat prostate cancer. The study shows that the protein PPARγ, which is important in controlling how the body uses energy, may also play a role in cancer growth.
This protein is already targeted by some drugs used to manage type 2 diabetes, such as pioglitazone. The new findings suggest these same drugs might also slow the growth of prostate cancer cells.
What Is PPARγ and Why Does It Matter?
PPARγ (pronounced “P-P-A-R gamma”) is a protein that helps control blood sugar levels and fat storage. For over 20 years, doctors have used drugs that target this protein to treat type 2 diabetes.
Now, scientists believe that PPARγ may also affect how cancer cells grow, especially in prostate cancer. It works like a switch that can turn certain genes on or off. This can affect not only how cells use energy but also how they multiply or die.
Cancer Growth Slowed in Lab Tests
To explore this idea, researchers studied both lab-grown cancer cells and real tissue samples from prostate cancer patients. They found that the diabetes drug pioglitazone, which targets PPARγ, slowed down the growth of cancer cells.
In patients who had both prostate cancer and diabetes, those who took pioglitazone did not experience a return of their cancer during the study period. This early result suggests that PPARγ-targeting drugs might have the power to help stop prostate cancer from coming back.
Why This Matters for Men’s Health
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. In Austria, for example, it still causes about one in eight cancer-related deaths among men. While treatments like surgery, radiation, and drugs already exist, researchers are always looking for new and better ways to treat the disease.
This discovery could lead to new treatment options that are more targeted and possibly have fewer side effects.
What’s Next for This Research?
The research team, led by pathologist Lukas Kenner, plans to continue studying how PPARγ affects prostate cancer. More studies are needed to prove that these diabetes drugs are safe and effective in cancer patients.
If confirmed, this could lead to clinical trials and, eventually, new treatments that use existing diabetes drugs in a completely new way.
Conclusion
A well-known diabetes drug may have a surprising second use: helping to treat prostate cancer. By targeting the protein PPARγ, scientists hope to slow cancer growth and improve patient outcomes. More research will tell whether this approach becomes part of future cancer care.
