NAPLES – A new promising horizon opens up in the fight against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity, thanks to an innovative experiment conducted at the National Cancer Institute “Fondazione Pascale” in Naples.
The project, led by the team of Oncological Cardiology directed by Professor Nicola Maurea, it is proposed to use in combination Semaglutide e Dapagliflozin, two drugs known for treating diabetes and weight loss, to protect the hearts of cancer patients during therapy.
The preliminary results of the study were presented in two scientific contexts of international importance: the meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Chicago and theESC Preventive Cardiology a Milan, arousing great interest among experts. The anthracyclines, very effective anti-tumor drugs but notoriously associated with serious cardiac side effects, are at the center of research.
“Although fundamental for the treatment of various tumors, these molecules can cause irreversible damage to the heart, especially in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors”, explains Maurea. The experimentation conducted at Pascale has shown that the combination of Semaglutide and Dapagliflozin significantly reduces cellular damage caused by doxorubicin and trastuzumab, acting on multiple molecular pathways involved in the mechanisms of cardiac toxicity.
The two drugs, in fact, act in synergy to break down inflammation, oxidative stress e apoptosis (cell death) of cardiac cells, improving the energetic functionality of the heart. A particularly important result for patients affected by breast tumors, among those most treated with the doxorubicin-trastuzumab combination.
“This new strategy could become a concrete weapon to prevent heart failure induced by cancer treatments, without compromising the efficacy of treatments”, underlines the director Maurea. The laboratory study is already accompanied by a first clinical application: the Pascale is currently underway PROTECT study, which involves the preventive administration of Dapagliflozin to women with breast cancer before the start of chemotherapy. The initial results are very encouraging.
“We are just at the beginning – concludes Maurea – but the data push us to continue. We are already planning new clinical studies to test the safety and efficacy of the combination also on patients with different types of tumors. The goal is clear: to make oncological treatments increasingly safe and sustainable also for the heart”.
Article published on 8 April 2025 - 11:51
It is interesting to see how the combination of Semaglutide and Dapagliflozin could potentially help cancer patients, but I wonder if there are any long-term side effects that have not been studied in detail. Research needs to continue.