An international team of scientists made an amazing discovery in the treatment of cancer.

Botox, a well-known cosmetic treatment, has proven to be a cheap, safe and effective treatment for stomach cancer..

During their study, scientists from Norway, Japan, Germany and the United States studied the role of the nervous system in cancer..

They found that the vagus nerve is associated with the growth of stomach tumors, as it releases the neurotransmitters they need..

To stop the growth of stomach cancer, the team tested several methods aimed at interrupting nerve signals from the vagus nerve to the tumor..

“We have found that removing the influence of the nerve leads to the suppression of tumor stem cells, and this helps to treat cancer,” says Professor Duan Chen from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Scientists have tried 4 methods to disrupt the communication between the vagus nerve and the tumor:.

•Cutting off the vagus nerve (vagotomy).

•Local injections of Botox to block the neurotransmitter.

• Administration of a drug that blocks neurotransmitter receptors.

• Removal of the receptor gene from cells (genetic engineering).

Which procedures have been the most successful

All four procedures performed were quite successful in stopping the growth of the cancerous tumor.. But the most pronounced were the effects of local vagotomy and Botox injections.. Professor Chen says they were surprised by Botox's amazing effectiveness.

“We think this is a good treatment because it is applied locally and targets cancer stem cells.. Another plus of Botox injections is safety.. After the procedure, the patient only has to stay in the clinic for a couple of hours,” Chen writes in his article..

Medical News Today asked Professor Timothy Wang of Columbia University Medical Center (USA) to comment on these results.. Professor Wong led the team that performed the Botox injections..

The scientist said: “We found that the neurotransmitter acetylcholine was the main mediator of tumor growth, and Botox effectively blocked the release of acetylcholine from nerve endings - this is how it paralyzes facial muscles.. We have used it in gastroenterology to relax the sphincters of the esophagus and stomach. The same principle is used to slow down prostatic hyperplasia in men.. This is real chemical denervation.”.

Botox is less expensive and less toxic than most standard cancer treatments..

Despite this, for the majority of patients with gastric cancer, researchers consider vagotomy in combination with conventional chemotherapy to be the best treatment.. This is because the complete loss of innervation makes the tumor more vulnerable and enhances the effect of chemotherapy..

Botox may be considered as an alternative treatment for patients who no longer respond to or are unwilling to undergo chemotherapy.. It may also be used in patients with inoperable stomach cancer..

“Dependence of cancer growth on the “nerve-tumor” connection may be relevant for other solid tumors, such as prostate cancer.. But the specific nerve fibers involved in the process naturally differ.. Further research is needed to determine their role,” the researchers concluded..

This study should be followed by a phase 2 clinical trial in patients with gastric cancer, which will be carried out in clinics in Norway..

medbe. en.