Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026
Targeted and Selective Treatment of Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Teratomas Using External Beam Radiation in a Small-animal Model
Published on: February 17, 2019
Targeting Lung Cancer Stem Cells with Antipsychological Drug Thioridazine
Haiying Yue1, Dongning Huang1, Li Qin1
1Department of Oncology, Liuzhou City Workers Hospital, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou 545000, China.
Abstract:
Lung cancer stem cells are a subpopulation of cells critical for lung cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. Thioridazine, a classical neurological drug, has been reported with anticancer ability. However, whether thioridazine could inhibit lung cancer stem cells has never been studied. In our current work, we used different dosage of thioridazine to test its effect on lung cancer stem cells sphere formation. The response of lung cancer stem cells to chemotherapy drug with thioridazine treatment was measured. The cell cycle distribution of lung cancer stem cells after thioridazine treatment was detected. The in vivo inhibitory effect of thioridazine was also measured. We found that thioridazine could dramatically inhibit sphere formation of lung cancer stem cells. It sensitized the LCSCs to chemotherapeutic drugs 5-FU and cisplatin. Thioridazine altered the cell cycle distribution of LCSCs and decreased the proportion of G0 phase cells in lung cancer stem cells. Thioridazine inhibited lung cancer stem cells initiated tumors growth in vivo. This study showed that thioridazine could inhibit lung cancer stem cells in vitro and in vivo. It provides a potential drug for lung cancer therapy through targeting lung cancer stem cells.
Insights
Thioridazine effectively inhibits lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) and their tumor growth. This neurological drug also sensitizes LCSCs to chemotherapy, offering a new therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cancer Stem Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Lung cancer stem cells (LCSCs) drive tumor progression, metastasis, and drug resistance.
- Thioridazine, a known neurological drug, exhibits potential anticancer properties.
- The effect of thioridazine on LCSCs remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of thioridazine in inhibiting lung cancer stem cells.
- To evaluate thioridazine's impact on LCSC sphere formation, chemotherapy response, cell cycle, and in vivo tumor growth.
Main Methods:
- Assessing thioridazine's effect on LCSC sphere formation in vitro.
- Measuring LCSC response to chemotherapy (5-FU, cisplatin) with thioridazine co-treatment.
- Analyzing LCSC cell cycle distribution post-thioridazine treatment.
- Evaluating thioridazine's in vivo tumor inhibitory effects.
Main Results:
- Thioridazine significantly inhibited LCSC sphere formation.
- Thioridazine enhanced LCSC sensitivity to 5-FU and cisplatin.
- Thioridazine treatment altered LCSC cell cycle distribution, reducing G0 phase cells.
- Thioridazine suppressed in vivo growth of tumors initiated by LCSCs.
Conclusions:
- Thioridazine demonstrates potent inhibitory effects on lung cancer stem cells both in vitro and in vivo.
- Thioridazine shows promise as a therapeutic agent for lung cancer by targeting LCSCs.
- This study highlights thioridazine as a potential drug for novel lung cancer treatments.
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
02:40Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
01:15Drugs that Stabilize Microtubules
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
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...