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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pharmacol Ther. 2013 Jan 24;138(2):197–210. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2013.01.008

Table 3.

Clinically available metabolic agents and their anti-tumorigenic effects

Therapeutic strategy Molecular target Agents Cancer-related effects Testing model Clinical evidences
Adipocyte differentiation PPARγ TZDs
  • -

    Induced adipocyte differentiation

  • -

    Induced differentiation and apoptosis and inhibited proliferation
  • -

    In vitro; human liposarcoma cells

  • -

    Various of cancer cells in vitro and in xenografts
  • -

    TZD treatment is associated with decreased risk for lung and colon cancer, but increased risk for prostate and bladder cancer.

  • -

    Inverse correlation between TZD treatment and PSA levels in prostate cancer.

  • -

    Not effective as a monotherapy.
Insulin resistance AMPK/mTOR axis Metformin
  • -

    Decreased insulin levels and increased insulin sensitivity

  • -

    inhibited proliferation and tumor growth, induced apoptosis
  • -

    Human and mouse studies

  • -

    Various of cancer cells and xenografts
  • -

    Decreased cancer in diabetic patients.
Inflammation COX2 NSAIDs
  • -

    Decreased inflammation

  • -

    induced apoptosis and DNA stabilization.

  • -

    Inhibited proliferation
  • -

    Human and mouse studies on varioustypes of cancers

  • -

    Cancer cells
  • -

    Reduced risk for colorectal cancer.
Estrogen synthesis Aromatase Aromatase inhibitors
  • -

    Inhibited aromatase activity and reduced estrogen production

 Human and mouse studies on breast cancer
  • -

    Effective treatment in estrogen responsive breast cancer

See relevant references within the text