Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Doxycycline Loaded Collagen-Chitosan Composite Scaffold for the Accelerated Healing of Diabetic Wounds
10:49

Doxycycline Loaded Collagen-Chitosan Composite Scaffold for the Accelerated Healing of Diabetic Wounds

Published on: August 21, 2021

4.9K

Doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin and ivermectin repositioned as cancer drugs

Anna Markowska1, Joanna Kaysiewicz2, Janina Markowska3

  • 1Department of Perinatology and Women's Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Polna 33, 60-545 Poznan, Poland.

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters
|May 6, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Novel antibiotics like doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin, and ivermectin show significant anti-tumor activity. These repurposed drugs could offer new pathways for treating cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Chemotherapy is a standard cancer treatment targeting cellular structures like DNA.
  • Repurposing existing antibiotics as anticancer agents is an emerging therapeutic strategy.
  • Doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin, and ivermectin are widely available antibiotics with known antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the emerging anticancer applications of doxycycline (DOX), salinomycin (SAL), monensin (MON), and ivermectin (IVR).
  • To highlight their potential as novel agents against cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs).
  • To explore their suitability for integration into standard oncological therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on the selected antibiotics.
  • Analysis of data demonstrating the anti-tumor activity of doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin, and ivermectin.
  • Evaluation of their potential to target cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Main Results:

  • The reviewed antibiotics exhibit significant potential for eradicating cancer cells.
  • These agents also demonstrate efficacy against cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are crucial for tumor recurrence.
  • Their established safety profiles and availability support their consideration for oncological use.

Conclusions:

  • Doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin, and ivermectin represent promising novel anticancer agents.
  • These repurposed antibiotics warrant further investigation for clinical application in various cancer types.
  • Their potential to target both cancer cells and CSCs could lead to more effective cancer treatments.
Keywords:
Anticancer antibioticCancer stem cellsNew anticancer agentOff-target effect

More Related Videos

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo09:19

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: February 6, 2015

9.1K
Robotic Production of Cancer Cell Spheroids with an Aqueous Two-phase System for Drug Testing09:58

Robotic Production of Cancer Cell Spheroids with an Aqueous Two-phase System for Drug Testing

Published on: April 23, 2015

9.4K

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Drug Interactions01:25

Pharmacokinetics: Drug–Drug Interactions

Drug interactions occur when the pharmacological effect of one drug is altered by another substance, either enhancing or diminishing its activity. The drug whose activity is altered is known as the object drug, and the substance causing the alteration is called the agent drug or the precipitant. The net effects of these interactions are mostly undesirable, leading to decreased effectiveness or increased adverse effects. In rare cases, interactions can be beneficial, such as the enhanced...
410
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
53.9K
Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications01:09

Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications

The concept of therapeutic equivalence (TE) in drugs with multiple indications is complex. A generic drug may be therapeutically equivalent to a brand-name product for one specific indication, but this doesn't necessarily mean it's equivalent for all other indications. Evidence of TE in one patient group and bioequivalence shown in healthy volunteers can support—but not confirm—TE for other indications. However, definitive proof requires individual clinical studies for each...
155
FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs01:26

FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs

Post-approval, manufacturers may modify an approved new or generic drug product. Such modifications can encompass alterations in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), manufacturing process, formulation, batch size, manufacturing site, and container closure system (FDA Guidance for Industry, April 2004). Often, a drug product may undergo multiple changes.These modifications require careful evaluation to determine their potential impact on the drug product's identity, strength, quality,...
248
What is Cancer?02:12

What is Cancer?

Cells and tissues must meticulously coordinate their activities for the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, they exhibit socially responsible behavior - resting, growing, dividing, differentiating, or dying - for the organism’s benefit. Cancer arises when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other tissues or organs.
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of...
14.1K
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Drug Dissolution01:27

Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Drug Dissolution

The pharmacokinetic journey of drugs from solid oral dosage forms into systemic circulation is multifaceted. It begins with disintegration, a prerequisite ensuring a solid dosage form's subdivision into minute particles. Dissolution occurs next as these granulated entities solubilize in gastrointestinal fluids. This solubilization is crucial for the succeeding stage, permeation, which describes the traversal of the drug across the intestinal membrane and its subsequent entry into the blood...
1.1K