Title:Discovery and Development of Macrolides as Anticancer Agents
Volume: 21
Issue: 18
Author(s): Rongli Liu, Yani Hou and Yijun Gu*
Affiliation:
- Department of Emergency, Zhuji People’s Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhuji,China
Keywords:
Macrolides, Anticancer, Structure-activity relationship, Mechanisms of action, Chemotherapy, Radiation therapy.
Abstract: Cancer is a life-threatening destructive disease. In the past several decades, the incidence
of cancer has been dramatically increased mostly due to lifestyle changes. Chemotherapy
plays an important role in the treatment of cancer, but the development of resistance against chemotherapeutic
agents, the side effects, and non-specific toxicity threatens the efficiency of anticancer
agents. Accordingly, it is important to develop novel anticancer drugs. Beyond the classical
antibacterial activity, macrolides also demonstrated potential effects against both drug-sensitive
and drug-resistant cancers through modulating diverse targets and signaling pathways, so rational
design of macrolides may generate valuable therapeutic interventions for the treatment of cancers.
The purpose of the present review article is to outline the current developments in macrolides with
an emphasis on anticancer activity, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms of action to
lay the path for the development of novel macrolide anticancer candidates.
