美国斯坦福大学研究人员日前公布研究成果称，他们进行的动物实验显示，抗真菌药斯皮仁诺可减缓癌细胞的生长。
研究人员表示，在许多癌症的形成过程中，名为“Hedgehog”的分子通道都发挥着重要的作用，因此他们推测，可干涉这一通道发挥作用的药物可能也具有抗癌效果。他们对抗真菌药斯皮仁诺进行测试时发现，它可以干涉“Hedgehog”分子通道。实验鼠口服斯皮仁诺溶液后，它们体内的肿瘤明显缩小，而未服用斯皮仁诺的实验鼠肿瘤持续增长。
研究人员在新一期美国《癌细胞》（Cancer Cell）杂志上发表报告称，尽管斯皮仁诺不能完全清除实验鼠体内的肿瘤，但或许可以通过干涉“Hedgehog”分子通道而促进其他抗癌药品的效果。
研究人员表示，实验鼠的肿瘤生长方式与人体肿瘤的自然生长差别很大，很有必要在癌症患者中对斯皮仁诺的效果进行测试。斯皮仁诺的安全性和不良反应已经过广泛研究，也许低浓度的斯皮仁诺和其他抗癌药联合使用可阻断癌细胞生长。
推荐原文出处：
Cancer Cell doi：10.1016/j.ccr.2010.02.027
Itraconazole, a Commonly Used Antifungal that Inhibits Hedgehog Pathway Activity and Cancer Growth
James Kim, Jean Y. Tang, Ruoyu Gong, Jynho Kim, John J. Lee, Karl V. Clemons, Curtis R. Chong, Kris S. Chang, Mark Fereshteh, Dale Gardner, Tannishtha Reya, Jun O. Liu, Ervin H. Epstein, David A. Stevens, Philip A. Beachy
In a screen of drugs previously tested in humans we identified itraconazole, a systemic antifungal, as a potent antagonist of the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway that acts by a mechanism distinct from its inhibitory effect on fungal sterol biosynthesis. Systemically administered itraconazole, like other Hh pathway antagonists, can suppress Hh pathway activity and the growth of medulloblastoma in a mouse allograft model and does so at serum levels comparable to those in patients undergoing antifungal therapy. Mechanistically, itraconazole appears to act on the essential Hh pathway component Smoothened (SMO) by a mechanism distinct from that of cyclopamine and other known SMO antagonists, and prevents the ciliary accumulation of SMO normally caused by Hh stimulation.
