Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 09, 2025 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Medical News: A Potential Breakthrough in Stopping Cancer Metastasis
A new wave of hope is emerging for patients battling aggressive cancers, as scientists from the University of Mississippi reveal that the anti-platelet drug ifetroban may significantly slow the spread of fast-moving tumors. This
Medical News report highlights how researchers found that ifetroban, already proven safe in more than 1,400 human patients for other medical uses, can interfere with one of cancer’s most dangerous tricks—its ability to hide inside the bloodstream and travel to new organs.
A repurposed anti-platelet drug may slow or prevent the spread of aggressive cancers.
How Tumors Use Platelets to Spread
Aggressive cancers such as triple-negative breast cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer often spread by slipping into the bloodstream and using platelets as a protective shield. Normally, platelets help with blood clotting. But cancer cells exploit them, sticking to their surface to avoid being seen and destroyed by the immune system. Once hidden, these tumor cells can travel to the lungs, liver or other organs, forming new deadly tumors.
The Mississippi researchers discovered that ifetroban blocks the receptor (TPr) that allows platelets to cling tightly to tumor cells. Without that protective coating, the cancer cells float unprotected, making it much easier for the body’s immune defenses to eliminate them before they settle elsewhere.
Strong Evidence from Multiple Models
The research team tested ifetroban in cell cultures, zebrafish models and mouse models of triple-negative breast cancer. Across all tests, the results were striking. The drug reduced lung metastasis by 67 percent, liver metastasis by 60 percent and cut circulating tumor cells by more than half. The findings also showed that the drug works even when the primary tumor is absent, reinforcing the idea that it directly interferes with the metastatic process, not just tumor growth.
Why This Matters for Future Cancer Treatment
Right now, very few medications directly target metastasis—the stage of cancer that causes most deaths. Ifetroban is especially promising because it already has a strong safety record, potentially allowing it to move more quickly into cancer-specific clinical trials. Researchers note that the drug would likely be used alongside existing cancer treatments, helping ensure that while tumors are being destroyed, they are not spreading to new organs.
Conclusions
The new findings suggest that blocking platelet-tumor interactions may open an entirely new path in cancer care. By stripping circulating cancer cells of their protective shield and exposing them to the immune system, ifetroban could offer a way to slow or prevent metastasis in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Although more research and clinical trials are needed, the study provides a compelling foundation for using existing safe drugs to change the course of deadly cancers and reduce mortality li
nked to metastatic disease in the future.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Experimental Hematology and Oncology
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40164-025-00723-7
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