Unveiling the Secrets of Aspirin's Power.

New research has revealed important information about how aspirin works, shedding light on its mechanism of action and cellular targets. Aspirin inhibits the cyclooxygenase enzyme (COX), which creates messenger molecules that are crucial in the inflammatory response. The study found that aspirin controls transcription factors required for cytokine expression during inflammation while also influencing many other inflammatory proteins and noncoding RNAs that are critically linked to inflammation and immune response. Aspirin also slows the breakdown of the amino acid tryptophan into its metabolite kynurenine by inhibiting associated enzymes called indoleamine dioxygenases, or IDOs. The researchers predict that COX inhibitors might also be useful as drugs for immunotherapy.