The Things You Need To Know About Aspirin – A Magic Drug
Scientists have uncovered fresh insights into the workings of aspirin, shedding light on its ability to reduce inflammation. Despite being in commercial use since the late 1800s, the precise mechanisms and targets of this drug have yet to be fully understood.
The latest research offers important new information that could ultimately lead to the development of safer aspirin alternatives, with fewer side effects.
In addition, these findings may also have implications for enhancing cancer immunotherapies. As a widely-used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, aspirin is relied upon by millions around the world to alleviate pain, reduce fever and inflammation, and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Aspirin is known to impede the cyclooxygenase enzyme, also known as COX, which is responsible for producing messenger molecules that play a vital role in the inflammatory response.
Recently, a team of researchers led by Professor Subhrangsu Mandal, who works in the field of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Texas at Arlington, has made new discoveries related to this process.
The team’s findings will be presented by Prarthana Guha, a graduate student from Mandal’s lab, at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Discover BMB, held in Seattle from March 25 to 28. Additionally, Avisankar Chini played an important role in the study.
“Aspirin is a magic drug, but long-term use of it can cause detrimental side effects such as internal bleeding and organ damage,” Mandal adds. “It’s important that we understand how it works so we can develop safer drugs with fewer side effects.”
In their research, the team uncovered that aspirin has the ability to regulate transcription factors that are essential for the expression of cytokines during inflammation. Moreover, they discovered that aspirin can influence a range of other inflammatory proteins and noncoding RNAs that are strongly linked to inflammation and immune response. According to Professor Mandal, this research necessitated a unique interdisciplinary team that combined expertise in both inflammation signaling biology and organic chemistry.
The team’s findings also revealed that aspirin can impede the breakdown of tryptophan, an amino acid, into its metabolite kynurenine by inhibiting enzymes called indoleamine dioxygenases, or IDOs. As tryptophan metabolism is a central component of inflammation and immune response, these findings could have significant implications for the development of new treatments in these areas.
“We found that aspirin downregulates IDO1 expression and associated kynurenine production during inflammation,” Mandal adds. “Since aspirin is a COX inhibitor, this suggests potential interplay between COX and IDO1 during inflammation.”
Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that aids the body’s immune system in locating and eliminating cancer cells, and IDO1 is a significant target for this treatment. As COX inhibitors impact the COX-IDO1 axis during inflammation, the researchers propose that COX inhibitors could potentially be utilized as immunotherapeutic drugs.
As a result, Professor Mandal and his team are currently working on developing a range of small molecules that can regulate COX-IDO1 and investigating their potential as both anti-inflammatory drugs and immunotherapeutic agents.
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