Chinese study finds male birth control drug may hold promise for treating lung cancer
- Compound derived from cotton seed proved effective in reducing sperm counts during trials in the 1970s, but was shelved because of its side effects
- Researchers say it reduced cancerous cells at higher doses by attacking a protein that may play role in tumour growth and a clinical trial is under way
A drug that was previously trialled for male birth control could hold promise for lung cancer patients when treatments like immunotherapy do not work, according to a new Chinese study.
Gossypol – a natural compound derived from cotton seed – proved effective in reducing sperm counts during trials in the 1970s in China, but was shelved as a male contraceptive pill because of its side effects.
They included leaving men with permanently reduced sperm levels after they stopped taking the drug, with high doses potentially resulting in malnutrition, circulation problems and even heart failure.
Now, Chinese researchers believe the drug could be used to treat lung cancer, and a three-year clinical trial began in May.
Gossypol was found to effectively suppress the growth of tumours in the lungs of mice in a study led by Fang Xiaohong, a researcher at the Beijing National Research Centre for Molecular Sciences and the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology.
It was found to have a similar effect on human cell lines, reducing cancerous cells at higher doses.