Disulfiram: A novel repurposed drug for cancer therapy
| Autor: | Min Zeng, Baibei Wu, Wenjie Wei, Zihan Jiang, Peiqiang Li, Yuanting Quan, Xiaobo Hu, Xiangxiang Pan, Peifang Wei |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2024 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Chinese Medical Journal, Vol 137, Iss 12, Pp 1389-1398 (2024) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 0366-6999 2542-5641 00000000 |
| DOI: | 10.1097/CM9.0000000000002909 |
| Popis: | Abstract. Cancer is a major global health issue. Effective therapeutic strategies can prolong patients' survival and reduce the costs of treatment. Drug repurposing, which identifies new therapeutic uses for approved drugs, is a promising approach with the advantages of reducing research costs, shortening development time, and increasing efficiency and safety. Disulfiram (DSF), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug used to treat chronic alcoholism, has a great potential as an anticancer drug by targeting diverse human malignancies. Several studies show the antitumor effects of DSF, particularly the combination of DSF and copper (DSF/Cu), on a wide range of cancers such as glioblastoma (GBM), breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and melanoma. In this review, we summarize the antitumor mechanisms of DSF/Cu, including induction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and various cell death signaling pathways, and inhibition of proteasome activity, as well as inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Furthermore, we highlight the ability of DSF/Cu to target cancer stem cells (CSCs), which provides a new approach to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. Strikingly, DSF/Cu inhibits several molecular targets associated with drug resistance, and therefore it is becoming a novel option to increase the sensitivity of chemo-resistant and radio-resistant patients. Studies of DSF/Cu may shed light on its improved application to clinical tumor treatment. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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