Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are drugs that are used to treat malaria, but a new review suggests that they may have another purpose: treating cancer.
The research — which reviewed more than 190 studies investigating how chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) affect cancer cells — describes how the malaria drugs may increase tumor sensitivity to existing cancer treatments.
Based on their findings, first study author Ciska Verbaanderd, from the University of Leuven in Belgium, and her colleagues say that the drugs "deserve further clinical investigations in several cancer types."
The review was recently published in the journal ecancermedicalscience.
While the United States has seen a fall in cancer death rates in recent years, the disease remains a significant burden on public health. Last year, there were more than 1.6 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. and more than 595,000 cancer deaths.
Given that cancer is increasingly becoming resistant to existing therapies, there is a desperate need to uncover new ways to fight the disease.
Verbaanderd and colleagues believe that the drugs CQ and HCQ could help in this fight.
CQ and HCQ as cancer therapies
CQ and HCQ are medications used to prevent and treat malaria. They may also be used in the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A wealth of research, however, has suggested that these drugs may also have anti-cancer properties.
For their review, Verbaanderd and colleagues analyzed the results of more than 190 animal and human studies that assessed the effects of CQ and HCQ on different types of cancer.
According to the researchers, the aim of their review was "to inform further research and trials on repurposing CQ and HCQ as anti-cancer agents."
The team uncovered evidence to suggest that CQ and HCQ could be effective for the treatment of a number of cancers, including glioblastoma — which is a deadly brain cancer — lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
"CQ and HCQ have been studied in multiple preclinical cancer models," write the authors, "and have demonstrated activity on several cancer-supporting pathways and in combination with a broad range of other therapies."
The research — which reviewed more than 190 studies investigating how chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) affect cancer cells — describes how the malaria drugs may increase tumor sensitivity to existing cancer treatments.
Based on their findings, first study author Ciska Verbaanderd, from the University of Leuven in Belgium, and her colleagues say that the drugs "deserve further clinical investigations in several cancer types."
The review was recently published in the journal ecancermedicalscience.
While the United States has seen a fall in cancer death rates in recent years, the disease remains a significant burden on public health. Last year, there were more than 1.6 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. and more than 595,000 cancer deaths.
Given that cancer is increasingly becoming resistant to existing therapies, there is a desperate need to uncover new ways to fight the disease.
Verbaanderd and colleagues believe that the drugs CQ and HCQ could help in this fight.
CQ and HCQ as cancer therapies
CQ and HCQ are medications used to prevent and treat malaria. They may also be used in the treatment of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A wealth of research, however, has suggested that these drugs may also have anti-cancer properties.
For their review, Verbaanderd and colleagues analyzed the results of more than 190 animal and human studies that assessed the effects of CQ and HCQ on different types of cancer.
According to the researchers, the aim of their review was "to inform further research and trials on repurposing CQ and HCQ as anti-cancer agents."
The team uncovered evidence to suggest that CQ and HCQ could be effective for the treatment of a number of cancers, including glioblastoma — which is a deadly brain cancer — lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
"CQ and HCQ have been studied in multiple preclinical cancer models," write the authors, "and have demonstrated activity on several cancer-supporting pathways and in combination with a broad range of other therapies."
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