Repurposing itraconazole as an anticancer agent (Review)

Tsubamoto,Hiroshi; Ueda,Tomoko; Inoue,Kayo; Sakata,Kazuko; Shibahara,Hiroaki; Sonoda,Takashi

doi:10.3892/ol.2017.6325

Repurposing itraconazole as an anticancer agent (Review)

Authors:
- Hiroshi Tsubamoto
- Tomoko Ueda
- Kayo Inoue
- Kazuko Sakata
- Hiroaki Shibahara
- Takashi Sonoda
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Affiliations: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663‑8501, Japan, Department of Medical Oncology, Meiwa Hospital, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663‑8186, Japan
Published online on: June 7, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2017.6325
Pages: 1240-1246

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Abstract

Itraconazole, a common anti-fungal agent, has demonstrated potential anticancer activity, including reversing chemoresistance mediated by P-glycoprotein, modulating the signal transduction pathways of Hedgehog, mechanistic target of rapamycin and Wnt/β‑catenin in cancer cells, inhibiting angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and possibly interfering with cancer‑stromal cell interactions. Clinical trials have suggested the clinical benefits of itraconazole monotherapy for prostate cancer and basal cell carcinoma, as well as the survival advantage of combination chemotherapy for relapsed non‑small cell lung, ovarian, triple negative breast, pancreatic and biliary tract cancer. As drug repurposing is cost-effective and timesaving, a review was conducted of preclinical and clinical data focusing on the anticancer activity of itraconazole, and discusses the future directions for repurposing itraconazole as an anticancer agent.

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