Researchers from Duke’s Center for Applied Genomics & Precision Medicine have used genome studies to show that aspirin affects a protein (RUNX1) that regulates two genes in particular and 60 per cent of all the genes known to respond to aspirin.
And this was directly linked with improved clinical outcomes and survival in colorectal cancer.
Assistant Professor and team leader Deepak Voora said that they already knew COX1 was affected by aspirin but this had not been linked to colorectal cancer regulation.
But by using genomic studies they had identified an aspirin response consisting of a whole panel of genes. Their response was modified by exposure to aspirin and this was linked to improved long-term outcomes.
Chris Woollams founder of CANCERactive and a former Oxford University Biochemist added, “It is always a bonus to have hard genomic evidence on how something works. Oxford University and the Radcliffe have previously researched aspirin and, across a six-year period, shown that it reduces metastasis and improves survival. They called on NICE to make a small aspirin (75 mg-81mg) a standard part of UK cancer treatment, but were ignored. Fortunately CANCERactive readers have repeatedly had the benefits of a small aspirin brought to their attention”.