Researchers discovered that Hydralazine works by inhibiting an enzyme called 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO), which explains a mystery that has existed for decades about how the drug actually works in real life.
A new study has provided answers about the medication and adds a compelling link to brain cancer.
Researchers analyzed the effects of hydralazine on human and mouse cells and found that it inhibited a specific enzyme called 2-aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO).
Inhibiting similar enzymes has been observed to play a crucial role in the treatment of glioblastoma brain cancer.
This new crucial understanding of hydralazine could pave the way for new cancer treatments and improvements in the effectiveness of the entire drug.
In this regard, physician-scientist Kyosuke Shishikura of the University of Pennsylvania said: “Hydralazine is one of the first vasodilators ever developed, and it remains a first-line treatment for preeclampsia – a hypertensive condition responsible for 5-15 percent of maternal deaths worldwide.”
The researchers describe ADO as an alarm bell that warns the body of low oxygen levels.
Previous studies have shown that glioblastoma tumors often have high levels of ADO, which hijacks it to produce a chemical called hypotaurine that helps the cancer spread.
The newly unveiled trial explains that hydralazine is a successful therapy for preeclampsia, a condition of high blood pressure in pregnant women.
It is pertinent to note that drugs can be developed to mitigate the effects of unwanted biological activity.
The recent discoveries may help to better understand both high blood pressure and brain cancer, while underscoring the need to target specific pathways.
The findings concluded that understanding the mechanism of hydralazine will allow researchers to develop more treatment strategies for glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers.
In addition, it will increase its work on clinical trials and advances in more personalized, targeted therapies.
