Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Phone: Fax: The rapid development of new anticancer drugs that are safe and effective is a common goal shared by basic scientists, clinicians and patients. The current review discusses one such agent, namely niclosamide, which has been used in the clinic for the treatment of intestinal parasite infections.
Recent studies repeatedly identified niclosamide as a potential anticancer agent by various high-throughput screening campaigns. A number of studies have established the anticancer activities of niclosamide in both in vitro and in vivo models.
Moreover, the inhibitory effects of niclosamide on cancer stem cells provide further evidence for its consideration as a promising drug for cancer therapy. This article reviews various aspects of niclosamide as they relate to its efficacy against cancer and associated molecular mechanisms. Keywords: niclosamide, FDA-approved drug, multi-targeted therapy, drug discovery, cancer stem cells. Niclosamide trade name Niclocide , a teniacide in the anthelmintic family which is especially effective against cestodes, has been approved for use in humans for nearly 50 years Fig.
Niclosamide inhibits oxidative phosphorylation and stimulates adenosine triphosphatase activity in the mitochondria of cestodes eg. Niclosamide is well tolerated in humans. The treatment of T. For the treatment of H. Drug development, from the initial lead discovery to the final medication, is an expensive, lengthy and incremental process [ 3 ].
Finding new uses for old or failed drugs is much faster and more economical than inventing a new drug from scratch, as existing drugs have known pharmacokinetics and safety profiles and have often been approved for human use, therefore any newly identified use s can be rapidly evaluated in clinical trials [ 4 ]. In the last 5 years niclosamide has been identified as a potential anticancer agent by various high-throughput screening campaigns.
