Researchers have found that repurposing a safe and affordable blood pressure medication may help prevent cancer-related cognitive impairment.
NeuRA (Neuroscience Research Australia) PhD candidate, Delyse McCaffrey, led the study, ‘Candesartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, prevents cognitive impairment in female mice with mammary cancer’, which was published in
@BrainBehavImm .
“Up to 75% of cancer patients report cognitive symptoms, with around 30% experiencing persistent deficits that interfere with daily functioning and quality of life,” Ms McCaffrey said.
“This can impact a person’s ability to think, learn, remember, or make decisions. Despite the profound economic and psychosocial burden, there are limited therapeutic options.
"Cancer-related cognitive impairment is associated with a combination of factors, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction, with evidence suggesting dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which modulates these processes.
“A key advantage of candesartan is its ability to cross the blood – brain barrier and modulate neurobiological processes linked to cognitive decline in cancer, making it an attractive candidate for repurposing to prevent cancer-related cognitive impairment,” Dr Walker said. She worked alongside her supervisors Dr Adam K. Walker and Professor Cynthia Shannon Weickert, and in collaboration with Professor
@rayychan at
@Flinders University and Professor Janette Vardy
@VardyJanette at the
@Sydney_Uni.
You can read the full article here -
neura.edu.au/news-media/medi…
You can read the study here -
sciencedirect.com/science/ar…