Lidocaine induces apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(23)01449-3

by bookofjoe • 3 years ago

80 38 3 years ago

I wonder if an ultra-bitter agent would activate "bitter taste receptor 14" more than Lidocaine.

sinuhe693• 3 years ago

I thought the same! Maybe people who loves to eat bitter have a lower rate of cancer than the rest of us? I had been drinking bitter tea for a time. I don’t know if it has any health benefit but it kind of makes you addictive ;) Indeed, it is super bitter, half a leaf is enough for a full glass of hot water. However, after a while you will want to add more and more :D

goldenkey• 3 years ago

Explains a bit or two about bitter almond, doesn't it?

throwaway958773• 3 years ago

And "having a bitter pill to swallow"

mattmaroon2• 3 years ago

It is believed that we evolved to taste bitterness because a lot of natural poisons are bitter. When people say something is an acquired taste, they are almost always referring to something bitter.

In many cultures bitter things are commonly eaten so people get past it even in childhood but in ones where they aren’t (like America) you find many adults who don’t enjoy bitter tastes.

sonicanatidae10• 3 years ago

Cilantro is literally soap. It's akin someone cooking up a nice bar of Dove and serving it to me.

I will accept no arguments otherwise.

sinuhe693• 3 years ago

I had been drinking bitter tea for quite a time. I don’t know if it has any health benefit but it kind of makes you addictive ;) Indeed, it is super bitter, half a leaf is enough for a full glass of hot water. However, after a while you will want to add more and more :D

I wonder if bitter food and drink can activate the bitter taste receptor as well. Maybe people who loves to eat bitter have a lower rate of cancer than the rest of us?

notpushkin• 3 years ago

From a sibling discussion (now dead): apoptosis means programmed cell death, so the title is roughly “Lidocaine induces programmed cell death in head and neck cancer”. Kudos to @QuercusMax.

Quite an interesting development!

DiscourseFan• 3 years ago

Damn I guess Freud was right, you can fix almost anything with Cocaine!

unstatusthequo• 3 years ago

Made me think of this gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP-C88GJKyU

sinuhe693• 3 years ago

garyrob• 3 years ago

Wow. I had HNSCC years ago, had surgery, had it recur a couple years later (same region so I think they didn't get it all the first time), had surgery, had it recur yet again five years later (again same region), had more surgery. (And radiation and a "radiosensitizer" drug.)

I'm now 7 years out from the last time, with no sign of trouble, so my odds are good.

I'm hearted to see a positive development like this.

throaweyprimy• 3 years ago

Can someone translate this for the layman? Why is this important?

smt88• 3 years ago

Lidocaine is cheap, FDA-approved, well-understood, and potentially well-tolerated as a therapy for this type of cancer.

When one of the alternatives is traditional chemotherapy, finding anything safer and more pleasant is an achievement.

I have no idea if this will be eventually be used widely in clinical practice, though.

appplication• 3 years ago

Can it be effectively delivered though?

sonicanatidae10• 3 years ago

What they are saying here is that Lidocaine, a topical anesthetic has shown the ability to kill cancer cells at the locations specified. Technically they activate self-death in the cells, but it's the same thing, in a practical sense.

Squamous cells: These are flat cells in the upper (outer) part of the epidermis, which are constantly shed as new ones form. When these cells grow out of control, they can develop into squamous cell skin cancer (also called squamous cell carcinoma).

Apoptosis - death of cells.

The current procedure is to simply cut away the cancerous cells. I know, I've had 2 removed. One was on my middle right finger and due to its location, I had to see a surgeon that specialized in hands. Hands are complex and since my career requires full movement (typing), it was important for me to maintain 100% motion, which I do.

When it can't be cut away, it's Chemo, which is almost as bad as the problem.

This would be a great thing if it proves out, reliably. Treating cancers in the nasal passages, for example, is very tough.

Note: I'm not a doctor, I just work with them, and personally experienced these types of cancers this twice in my life, albeit in more easily treatable locations.

DarmokJalad1701• 3 years ago

I know, I've had 2 removed. One was on my middle right finger and due to its location, I had to see a surgeon that specialized in hands.

How did you discover these? Did they obviously look like trouble?

stonemetal12• 3 years ago

I can get Lidocaine at CVS for 10$ without a prescription.

privacyking• 3 years ago

It's interesting because lidocaine is often used as a local anaesthetic for skin excisions (including of squamous cell carcinomas)

kalupa• 3 years ago

so, uh, "freeze" the cancer? wild

fieryskiff17• 3 years ago

what?

zaps• 3 years ago

Icy-Hot

Lidocaine induces apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

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