Suicide Isn't Always Bad? Not When it Involves the Suicide of Liver Cancer!

Suicide of cells or apoptosis is a programmed process of our cells that plays an important role in our body's ability to remove unwanted or diseased cells before they irrecoverably destroy tissue.  During cancer this process is often inhibited, allowing diseased cells to grow uncontrollably.

In a new study, the use of celecoxib, a commonly prescribed anti-inflammatory medication induces apoptosis in liver cancer cells.  Celecoxib can bind and inhibit the STAT3 gene.  STAT3 plays an important role in allowing liver cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy medication.  By inhibiting this gene not only can it make cancer cells susceptible to chemotherapy but can also induce liver cancer cells to undergo apoptosis.

So you see, suicide isn't all bad.

Common anti-inflammatory coaxes liver cancer cells to commit suicide.