Cancer Drug Under Investigation Unexpectedly Triggers Spinal Cord Recovery in Mice Models

In an unexpected discovery, a cancer treatment drug currently under investigation also showed promise in different medical research. Experts demonstrating how the drug promotes nerve repair after spinal injuries are now considered a surprising breakthrough.

Unexpected Spinal Injury Medication

(Photo: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels)

In a recent study published in the journal Clinical and Translational Medicine, titled "The brain-penetrant ATM inhibitor, AZD1390, promotes axon regeneration and functional recovery in preclinical models of spinal cord injury." researchers demonstrated how the cancer drug acts on a DNA damage response mechanism at work triggering an astounding recovery of spinal cord injuries in mice models.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Birmingham, focused on an experimental cancer drug called AZD1390. The drug is currently under investigation as a cancer therapy drug due to its potential to make tumor cells sensitive to radiation treatment. It does so by penetrating the brain and inhibiting any mechanisms linked to DNA damage, known as the AMT protein kinase pathway.

According to the authors, this is implicated by the DNA Damage Response system, which responds to DNA damage caused by various common cancers and unexpectedly in spinal cord injuries.

The authors hypothesize that the system's activation may slow or prevent recovery from the injury by hampering the body's natural nerve repair. The thinking was that by using the cancer drug to inhibit the signaling pathway of ATM protein, they could clear the way for the growth of new nerve cells post-injury.

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Studying the Effects of Cancer Drug AZD1390 on Spinal Cord Recovery

Researchers began by experimenting on nerve cells in culture. The cancer drug was found to stimulate the growth of new cells in this environment and inhibit the ATm protein kinase pathway. In mice models used with spinal cord injuries, oral administration of the drug also showed significant suppression of the pathway. Moreover, the drug promoted the regeneration of nerves beyond the injury site, enhancing the nerves' capacity to relay electrical impulses. The restoration of both the sensory and motor function of the models was dramatic, reports NewAtlas.

Professor Zubair Ahmed, the author of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing study, says that this marks an exciting time in the spinal cord injury field with several different investigational drugs being seen as potential therapies for recovery of the injury. He adds that their team is particularly excited about the cancer drug AZD1390

The rapid and effective recovery, making the injured mice models appear like uninjured mice in a short time frame, positions the drug as an exciting potential treatment for the injury that currently has no cure. Though just an initial study, the fact remains that a drug already under investigation may shorten its path to clinical use.

Dr. Richard Tuxworth, a co-author of the study, says that the early research shows that the cancer drug could be used as a therapy in life-changing conditions. Adding that repurposing existing investigational drugs can potentially mean that the team can reach clinics significantly faster than developing novel drugs from scratch.