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Repurposing cardiac glycosides for anticancer treatment: a review of clinical studies

Wan Najbah Nik Nabil1, Rongchen Dai2, Mengfan Liu2

  • 1School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai 201203, China; National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, Ministry of Health, Lot 36, Jalan University, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 46200, Malaysia.

Drug Discovery Today
|August 4, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac glycosides (CGs), traditionally used for heart disease, show promise in cancer therapy by reducing risk, enhancing chemotherapy, and improving quality of life. Further research is needed for personalized treatment and broader clinical integration.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology and Oncology
  • Pharmacology and Drug Repurposing

Background:

  • Cardiac glycosides (CGs) have a long history in treating heart conditions.
  • Emerging evidence suggests CGs possess significant anticancer properties.
  • Clinical integration of CGs for cancer treatment remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review recent clinical studies on CGs in cancer therapy.
  • To highlight the multifaceted potential of CGs in oncology.
  • To identify future directions for optimizing CGs in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of clinical studies published within the last five years.
  • Analysis of CGs' effects on cancer risk, chemotherapy efficacy, side effects, and quality of life.
  • Identification of key areas for future clinical trial design and investigation.

Main Results:

  • CGs demonstrate potential in reducing cancer risk.
  • CGs can enhance the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy.
  • CGs may mitigate chemotherapy-induced side effects and improve patient quality of life.

Conclusions:

  • CGs show considerable promise for repurposing in cancer therapy.
  • Future trials should focus on personalized dosing, molecular testing, and specific cancer types like bone cancer and metastasis.
  • Optimizing CGs requires careful consideration of specific compounds, cancer types, and concurrent medications.
Keywords:
AntitumorCardiac glycosideCinobufaciniCinobufaginDigitalisDigoxin

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