Immunosuppressants in cancer prevention and therapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Rapalogs (rapamycin, everolimus, etc.) treat malignancies and show cancer-preventive effects in preclinical models.
• Rapalogs decrease cancer risk in immunosuppressed patients, challenging their classification as solely immunosuppressants.
• The role of immunity in cancer and the dual nature of rapalogs warrant further investigation.

Approach:

• Reviewing the multifaceted effects of rapalogs, including anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-proliferative properties.
• Examining rapamycin's function as a gerosuppressant, inhibiting cellular senescence (geroconversion).
• Discussing the implications of these findings for understanding cancer development and the classification of rapalogs.

Key Points:

• Rapalogs are effective in cancer therapy and prevention, notably rapamycin's potent cancer-delaying effects in mice.
• Rapalogs reduce cancer incidence in patients on immunosuppressive therapy.
• Rapamycin inhibits cellular senescence, a process linked to aging and cancer.

Conclusions:

• Rapalogs exhibit complex biological activities extending beyond immunosuppression.
• Their role in cancer prevention, therapy, and aging suggests a need to reconsider their classification and the interplay between immunity, aging, and cancer.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms and therapeutic potential of rapalogs in oncology.