Viagra could soon be used to treat cancer

Viagra could soon be used to treat cancer

Sildenafil, the active ingredient in the popular erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, has been found to have potential cancer-fighting properties.

A team of researchers from China's Westlake University, Zhejiang University, Peking Union Medical College, and Shanghai Institute of Immunology made this groundbreaking discovery.

They found that sildenafil could boost a group of key anti-tumor immune cells called dendritic cells.

How sildenafil works on dendritic cells

Dendritic cells are known as the "intelligence agents" of the immune system. However, they can be severely depleted or functionally impaired as a tumor progresses.

The researchers behind this study, led by Westlake cancer immunology specialist Zhou Ting, found that sildenafil could reverse this process and help restore these vital cells.

Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

Potential new tumor immunotherapy strategy

The discovery has been hailed as a possible new "form of tumor immunotherapy strategy" by Westlake University.

This suggests that sildenafil could be used not just to treat erectile dysfunction but also as a potential treatment for cancer.

The study opens up new avenues for further research into the use of existing drugs in novel ways to combat diseases like cancer.