Scientists have discovered anti-depressants have anti-cancer properties

A study led by Professor Behrend Sneider from the Swiss University of Technology Zurich has discovered the surprising properties of the antidepressant vortioxetine. This relatively inexpensive drug, which is already used in the US and EU countries to treat depression, could prove promising in the fight against glioblastoma. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine.

To discover these properties, the scientists used pharmacoscopy technology, an innovative platform for testing a large number of substances on living cells. Using this technique, the researchers tested 130 different drugs, including antidepressants, Parkinson's disease drugs and antipsychotics, on tumour tissues obtained from 40 glioblastoma patients. Pharmacoscopy has previously only been used for blood cancers, and the new study was the first successful application of the technique to solid tumours such as glioblastoma.

The results showed that vortioxetine was the most effective. This antidepressant activated signalling cascades in brain cells, which slowed tumour cell division and had a positive effect on neurons. Tests on mice with glioblastoma confirmed the effectiveness of vortioxetine, especially when combined with conventional chemotherapy.

One of the reasons for this result was the interaction between neurons and tumour cells through a common signalling cascade that was activated by vortioxetine. This discovery explains why some neuroactive drugs may be effective in fighting brain cancer cells.

Despite the encouraging results, researchers caution against using vortioxetine on its own to treat cancer. So far, the drug has only been tested on cell cultures and mice, and its effectiveness on humans requires further clinical trials. Scientists plan to conduct clinical trials on patients with glioblastoma to determine the optimal dosage and confirm the results in practice.