Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
08:59

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down

Published on: December 11, 2017

Targeting malignancies with disulfiram (Antabuse): multidrug resistance, angiogenesis, and proteasome

B Cvek1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 11, 78371 Olomouc, Czech Republic. cvekb@seznam.cz

Current Cancer Drug Targets
|January 21, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Antabuse (disulfiram), an established alcohol aversion drug, shows promise in suppressing cancer growth by targeting key tumor processes. Ongoing trials investigate its use in lung and liver cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Antabuse (disulfiram), a drug used for alcohol aversion therapy, has demonstrated anti-cancer properties since the 1970s.
  • Its metabolite, Ditiocarb, also exhibits cancer-suppressive effects.
  • The drug mechanism involves targeting multidrug resistance, angiogenesis, invasion, and proteasome activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing evidence on Antabuse (disulfiram) as a potential anti-cancer agent.
  • To highlight ongoing clinical investigations into Antabuse's efficacy in various cancer types.

Main Methods:

  • Review of historical and current research on Antabuse (disulfiram) and Ditiocarb in cancer suppression.
  • Analysis of ongoing clinical trials for Antabuse in lung cancer and liver metastases.

Main Results:

  • Antabuse (disulfiram) has shown efficacy in suppressing cancer growth in preclinical and clinical settings.
  • Current trials are exploring Antabuse as an adjuvant therapy for lung cancer and monotherapy for liver metastases.

Conclusions:

  • Antabuse (disulfiram) presents a viable, repurposed therapeutic option for cancer treatment.
  • Further large-scale clinical trials and potential "non-profit" drug initiatives are needed to support its broader clinical application.

More Related Videos

Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype14:51

Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype

Published on: June 17, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase01:11

Pharmacogenetics of Drug Targets: β₂-Adrenergic Receptors, Apo E, Thymidylate Synthase

Genetic polymorphisms in drug targets have emerged as critical determinants of interindividual variability in drug response and toxicity. Pharmacogenomic investigations increasingly focus on identifying these variations to personalize and optimize therapeutic interventions. A drug target may be a receptor, enzyme, or signaling protein involved in pharmacologic responses or disease-related pathways. While early pharmacogenetic studies focused primarily on drug metabolism, current research...
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Enzymes: N-acetyltransferase, Thiopurine S-methyltransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase01:27

Pharmacogenetics of Phase II Enzymes: N-acetyltransferase, Thiopurine S-methyltransferase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase

Phase II biotransformation reactions are essential for detoxifying and eliminating xenobiotics, including many pharmaceutical compounds. These reactions typically involve conjugation, the covalent attachment of polar endogenous groups such as glucuronic acid, sulfate, methyl, or acetyl moieties to functional groups introduced during Phase I metabolism. The resulting conjugates are more water-soluble, enabling efficient renal or biliary excretion.The major classes of Phase II enzymes include...
Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction01:30

Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction

Drug–drug interactions can precipitate toxicity through multiple mechanisms. Absorption interactions alter how drugs enter the body, exemplified when ranitidine increases the absorption of basic drugs, while cholestyramine decreases the levels of propranolol. Protein binding interactions occur when drugs share the same binding sites on plasma proteins. Drugs like aspirin and warfarin, when bound in excess, can lead to increased free drug concentrations, enhancing the potential for...