Simvastatin inhibits sonic hedgehog signaling and stemness features of pancreatic cancer

We examined several established and primary PDA and normal cell lines as well as PDA patient tissues (n  = 68). We found that simvastatin inhibited viability, stemness, tumor growth and metastasis and that it enhanced the efficacy of gemcitabine. These changes were associated with modulation of Shh-related gene expression. Overexpression of Shh prevented the anti-cancer effect of simvastatin, and inhibition of Shh mimicked the simvastatin effect.

Source: Cancer Letters - April 5, 2018 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Yefeng Yin, Li Liu, Zhefu Zhao, Libo Yin, Nathalie Bauer, Clifford C. Nwaeburu, Jury Gladkich, Wolfgang Gross, Thilo Hackert, Carsten Sticht, Norbert Gretz, Oliver Strobel, Ingrid Herr Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research