A recent study conducted at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that lidocaine, a common local anesthetic, has cancer-fighting properties.
The study shows the ability of lidocaine to cause cancer cell death by activating bitter taste receptors, in particular through such unique mechanisms as mitochondrial calcium ion overload and proteasome inhibition, Medical News reports.
The research team discovered the effect of lidocaine on the T2R14 bitter taste receptor. When activated, this receptor initiates apoptosis in cancer cells. Apoptosis is a process of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms, during which cells dismantle themselves in an orderly and efficient manner to be destroyed without causing damage to surrounding tissues. This discovery builds on previous studies that have shown that bitter taste receptors present in oral and throat cancer cells can lead to apoptosis and are associated with better survival of patients with head and neck cancer.
Interestingly, a separate study published in April 2023 reported an increase in the survival rate of breast cancer patients with the use of lidocaine before surgery. This once again confirms the potential benefits of lidocaine in cancer treatment, the scientists said.
The safety of lidocaine and its widespread use in medical procedures, including head and neck surgery, make it a promising candidate for further study in cancer therapy. The research team plans to conduct a clinical trial at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center to evaluate the effectiveness of adding lidocaine to standard treatment for head and neck cancers, especially those associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is increasingly common in such cancers.
This study opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment and gives hope for progress in the treatment of complex cancers such as head and neck cancer, the scientists concluded.
