Tropisetron Suppresses Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer by Blocking Interleukin 33 Expression

Chronic inflammation is an established risk factor for cancer development. Interleukin 33(IL-33) cytokine has been identified as a key initiator of cancer-prone chronic inflammation.Herein, we demonstrate that tropisetron can serve as a safe and effective medicationto prevent chronic inflammation and its cancer sequela. Screening a large collection ofFDA-approved drugs reveals that tropisetron, which is commonly used to prevent andtreat nausea, effectively suppresses IL-33 expression by reducing IRF3 phosphorylation.Tropisetron-mediated IL-33 suppression provides a novel strategy to prevent and treatpancreatic cancer and perhaps other cancers associated with chronic inflammation.