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Statins as Anticancer Agents in the Era of Precision Medicine

Joseph Longo1,2, Jenna E van Leeuwen1,2, Mohamad Elbaz1

  • 1Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
|September 5, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Statins, cholesterol drugs targeting the mevalonate pathway, show promise for cancer treatment. Further research is needed to integrate these drugs into oncology care.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Statins are widely used cholesterol-lowering medications.
  • They inhibit HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR), a key enzyme in the mevalonate pathway.
  • Cancer cells often rely on the mevalonate pathway for growth and survival.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in statin repurposing for cancer treatment.
  • To outline considerations for advancing statins into oncology clinical trials.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on statins and cancer.
  • Analysis of the mevalonate pathway's role in cancer progression.
  • Discussion of challenges and opportunities for clinical translation.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests certain cancers are vulnerable to statin therapy.
  • Statins are well-tolerated, inexpensive, and readily available drugs.
  • Repurposing statins for oncology faces hurdles in clinical integration.

Conclusions:

  • Statins represent a promising, accessible therapeutic option for specific cancers.
  • Further investigation and strategic planning are crucial for clinical implementation.
  • Advancing statins into oncology trials requires addressing current challenges.

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