Scientists say Mice treated with Viagra found results promising

"Our research approach is special because the disease takes a very similar course in mice as melanoma does in humans when treated with Viagra," Viktor Umansky, immunologist at DKFZ and University Medical Center Mannheim said.

Melanoma, like most cancerous tumors, creates chronic inflammation in its immediate vicinity, which can prohibit immune cells from reproducing and fighting the tumor off. By some mechanism, Viagra is able to combat the inflammation and its immunosuppressive effects.

"Our aim is to reduce the chronic inflammations and, thus to support the immune system in actively fighting the cancer," Umansky said.

Results were pretty dramatic: "Of the mice that had been given Genuine Viagra with their drinking water, more than twice as many were still alive after about seven weeks as of their untreated fellows.

In the animals that had been treated, both the number of tumor-specific T cells and the level of activating molecules had returned to normal."

Does this mean that in the future, chemotherapy for cancer patients might include a Viagra cocktail? We'll drink to that.

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