These findings mean that existing and approved treatments could be repurposed for use in bowel cancer
Pictured: Dr Lisa Mielke and Dr Pavitha Parathan
MELBOURNE: Researchers at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI) have linked two nervous system components to bowel cancer growth, creating promising new avenues for treatment with existing approved therapies.
Our gut contains its very own nervous system and is regarded as the second brain. Key players of this system are neuropeptides, the signalling factors that are produced and released by nerves. These factors relay messages throughout our nervous system by connecting to receptors on the outside of cells.
The researchers discovered that CGRP, a common neuropeptide, and its receptor influence bowel cancer growth.
ONJCRI researcher and lead author of the paper published in BMJ Oncology today, Dr Pavitha Parathan, says: “This is very impactful because we have identified a new way that tumours can manipulate their environment to sustain their growth.”
This finding is significant because drugs targeting CGRP have recently been approved to treat migraine, and these learnings suggest they could be repurposed for bowel cancer.
Dr Parathan says: “This is a nerve–tumour pathway with existing therapies that are already well tolerated in other diseases, supporting ONJCRI’s goal of making cancer treatments not just effective, but kinder and easier on the patient.”
With the learnings from this research, the team will next investigate the effect of these existing migraine therapies on tumour growth. The aim is to generate promising results that could support a case for early clinical trials.
Jemima Hoult, Melbourne (VIC), was suddenly diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer at age 46. After a challenging treatment journey involving over 20 rounds of radiotherapy and two courses of chemotherapy, the mother-of-three is continuing her recovery and being monitored closely by her oncology team.
A Bowel Cancer Australia advocate, Ms Hoult shares her views on these new findings: “My hope for this particular research is that the treatment that already exists for migraine can be used to halt or slow down tumour growth.“If found to be successful, it could have potentially reduced the side effects I have experienced from radiation treatment that have impacted my lifestyle massively, with some of them being lifelong.”
Julien Wiggins, CEO of Bowel Cancer Australia, says:
“We are encouraged by the findings of ONJCRI’s research and the potential for early clinical trials that use an existing approved migraine medicine that could become a treatment option to improve survival for people diagnosed with MSI-high stage II, III or metastatic bowel cancer.
“Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer nationally, with around 15,000 people diagnosed annually, and it is the deadliest cancer for Australians aged 25 to 54.”
ENDS
This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas Grants 2011558 (LAM) and 1185513 (LAM and DW), Victorian Cancer Agency mid- career fellowship 1123388 (LAM), a Tour de Cure Postgraduate PhD Scholarship Grant (PP), Tour de Cure Senior Investigator Grant (LAM) and the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation (OMS), and the Victorian State Government.
The research team included collaborators from Austin Health, Monash University, Harvard University and WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research).
Publication in BMJ Oncology available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjonc-2025-000842