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A study has found Viagra may help slow down the spread of cancer cells, adding to a long list of its surprising uses. Syda Productions \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
Viagra use has steadily grown since its debut, with more than 23 million men<\/a> having popped the pill as of 2005. Recreational use is also on the rise<\/a> among men hoping to improve sexual performance.<\/p>\n But as cancer diagnoses increase at alarming rates<\/a> \u2014 with cases expected to nearly double by 2050 \u2014 doctors are looking for new ways to fight the disease.<\/p>\n Now nearly three decades after Viagra first became available, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science<\/a> have found the drug may hinder cancer cells\u2019 ability to spread.<\/p>\n The findings, published in Cancer Research<\/a>, suggest sildenafil \u2014 Viagra\u2019s active ingredient \u2014 interferes with metastasis by disrupting cancer cells\u2019 cholesterol supply.<\/p>\n Led by Dr. Yarden Ariav and Professor Ayelet Erez, the team studied mouse cancer models, cancer cells cultured from human patients and two decades of medical records from 5 million patients in Israel\u2019s Clalit Health Services.<\/p>\n They found that sildenafil reduces cancer cells\u2019 ability to use cholesterol, a key building block of cell membranes.<\/p>\n Sildenafil works by blocking an enzyme known as phosphodiesterase type 5, which raises levels of cGMP, a signaling molecule that relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow.<\/p>\n The researchers discovered that cGMP also binds to a protein responsible for transporting cholesterol inside cells, leaving less of the fat available for cancer cells to use.<\/p>\n That matters because limiting cholesterol is essential for rapidly growing cancer cells, particularly after they detach from a primary tumor and attempt to invade other organs.<\/p>\n Analysis of the medical records also found that sildenafil use was associated with better survival among cancer patients, especially when combined with statins<\/a> \u2014 cholesterol-lowering medications that reduce low-density lipoprotein, or \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol.<\/p>\n Together, the medications may cut off restrict cancer cells\u2019 access to existing cholesterol while also preventing the body from producing more, effectively starving tumors of a key resource.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond their therapeutic promise, our findings highlight that cancer biology is shaped not only by mutations in tumor cells but also by the patient\u2019s metabolic state and by medications they are already taking for other conditions,\u201d Erez said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Given the apparent benefit of pairing sildenafil with statins, Erez also noted the importance of treating \u201cthe whole patient \u2014 not just the cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n While cancer cell growth is driven largely by genetic changes and the body\u2019s internal signaling pathways, researchers say external factors \u2014 including diet<\/a> \u2014 may also influence how tumors develop and spread.<\/p>\n One study found that a high-fat diet<\/a> accelerated tumor growth and invasion in triple-negative breast cancer.<\/p>\n![\"Blister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/blister-pack-viagra-tablets-prescription-136461807.jpg\")
Sildenafil, the active ingredient of Viagra, was found to reduce cancer cells\u2019 ability to use cholesterol, a key building block. dpa\/picture alliance via Getty Images<\/p>\n