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. 2015 Sep 30;5(4):571–600. doi: 10.3390/metabo5040571

Table 1.

Drugs/compounds targeting different proteins/enzymes of the metabolic pathways [42,65].

Pathways Target Proteins/Enzymes or Metabolites Drugs/Compounds Cancer/Tumor Type Clinical Trial Status
Signalling proteins and transcription factors
mTORC1 Temsirolimus and Everolimus Metastatic/non-metastatic solid tumors US FDA approved
Ridaforolimus and other rapalogues Pancreatic, endometrial and glioblastoma; lymphoma. Phase I/II
mTORC1 and mTORC2 Torin1 and PP242 - Preclinical
HIF1α PX-478 Advanced solid tumor and lymphoma Phase I
Acriflavine - Preclinical
Hypoxia Tirapazamine and other bioreductive compounds Cervical, SCLC, NSCLC Phase III
Hypoxia, VEGF and VEGFR Bevacizumab Malignant glioma, NSCLC, ovarian and colorectal US FDA approved
IGF1R Dalotuzumab (MK-0646), BIIB022, AVE1642 etc. Solid tumors of NSCLC, pancreatic, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic breast cancer Phase I/II
PI3K and mTOR BEZ235, XL765, SF1126 and BGT226 Malignant glioma and NSCLC Phase I/II
PI3K GDC-0941 and PX866 Metastatic breast cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Phase I
AKT Perifosine and GSK690693 Renal cancer, NSCLC and lymphoma Phase I/II
AMPK and Complex I (mitochondrial) Metformin Solid tumors and lymphoma US FDA approved
Metabolic pathway enzymes
Nucleotide biosynthesis pathway DNA and RNA synthesis 5-FU, cytarabine and methotrexate Different types of tumors US FDA approved
DNA synthesis Folate, choline, methionine, Lab studies
Methyltransferases Betaine, selected B vitamins, Flavonoids, EGCG, genistein Lab studies
Histone deacetylases (HDAC) Butyrate, sulforaphane, Allylmercaptan, 3,3-Diindolylmethane Lab studies
Histone acetyltranferase Anacardic acid, garcinol, Curcumin, EGCG, Genistein
Acetylation of non-histone proteins Butyrate, cambinol, Dihydrocoumarin, genistein
Glycolysis pathway GLUT1 Phloretin Colon cancer and leukemia -
GLUT1 WZB117 Lung cancer and breast cancer -
GLUT4 Ritonavir Multiple myeloma -
Hexokinase 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) Leukemia, cervical cancer, hepatocarcinoma, breast cancer, small lung cancer, lymphoma and prostate cancer PhaseI/II
Hexokinase Hexokinase Lonidamine (LND) Benign prostatic hyperplasia, leukemia and lymphoma Phase III
3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) Leukemia, multiple myeloma, colon cancer and leukemia Preclinical
Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) shRNA Lung cancer -
Pyruvate kinase (PK) TLN-232 Metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma Phase II
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDHA) Oxamate Breast cancer
Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) Resveratrol Colon cancer
Transketolase (TK) Oxythiamine (OT) Colon cancer
G6PDH and TK Avemar Jurkat T cells (Leukemia)
G6PDH, 6PGDH and Transaldolase TA Combination of arginine and ascorbic acid Human hepatoma cell lines (HA2T/VGH)
G6PDH, also depletion of ribose-5-phosphate (R-5P) Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Indirect study on polycystic ovary syndrome
TCA cycle Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK3) siRNA Cervical cancer and breast cancer
Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK1) Dichloroacetate (DCA) Fibrosarcoma, colon cnacer, lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and prostate cancer
Fatty acid synthesis FASN Cerulenin and C75 Breast cancer
Orlistat Breast and pancreatic cancer Preclinical
ATP-citrate lyase SB-204990 - Preclinical
Amino acid metabolism pathway Glutamine Phenylacetate Brain tumors Phase II
Asparagine Asparaginase and pegasparaginase Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), T-cell lymphoma (TCL) and B-cell lymphoma (BCL) Phase II/III
Arginine Arginine deiminase Metastatic melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma Phase I/II