Combined cancer therapy with non-conventional drugs: all roads lead to AMPK

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen
19:44

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen

Published on: May 30, 2012

18.2K

Suning Chen, Xingmei Zhu, Xiaofeng Lai

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169 Changle West Road, 710032, Xi'an, PR China. biozhangj@hotmail.com.

Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
|August 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a promising anticancer target. Activating AMPK with drugs like metformin and resveratrol shows potential for novel combination cancer therapies by inhibiting tumor growth.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates cellular energy balance and protein synthesis.
  • AMPK activation inhibits mTOR signaling, reducing mRNA translation and protein synthesis.
  • AMPK is a potential therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on non-classical drugs that activate AMPK.
  • To explore the potential of combination therapies using AMPK-activating drugs for cancer treatment.
  • To summarize the mechanisms by which these drugs activate AMPK.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on AMPK activators and their anticancer effects.
  • Analysis of the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway in relation to drug mechanisms.
  • Examination of evidence for combination therapy strategies.

Main Results:

  • Metformin and aspirin demonstrate anticancer properties, primarily through AMPK/mTOR pathway activation.
  • Resveratrol, berberine, statins, EGCG, and capsaicin also inhibit tumors via AMPK activation.
  • These drugs show potential for synergistic anticancer effects when used in combination.

Conclusions:

  • AMPK-activating drugs represent a novel approach to cancer therapy.
  • Combination therapies involving these agents could offer a new therapeutic regimen.
  • Targeting the AMPK pathway provides a unified mechanism for diverse drug actions in cancer treatment.

More Related Videos

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts10:27

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts

Published on: July 25, 2020

6.5K
Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies09:29

Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies

Published on: September 30, 2016

13.4K

Related Concept Videos

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...
4.9K
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...
7.0K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

1.4K
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
2.5K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.6K
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
8.1K