Viagra may restrict cancer spread, Israeli and U.S. scientists find

Viagra’s active ingredient sildenafil may restrict cancer metastasis by limiting cancer cells’ cholesterol access, a new study finds. Researchers at Israel’s Weizmann Institute, with U.S. National Cancer Institute scientists, analyzed human and mouse cells and five million patients’ health data. They found sildenafil blocks PDE5, raising cGMP, which reduces cholesterol available for cellular functions, impairing cancer cells’ ability to spread. Originally developed for heart conditions, the drug was noted for erectile dysfunction. Researchers suggest combining sildenafil with statins may help, though mouse-model and observational evidence limits causal conclusions.