Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 20, Issue 3 , Pages 188-195, September 2008

Thalidomide and Its Analogs as Anticancer Agents

  • Yen-Ta Huang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Emergency Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
    • Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chih W. Hsu

      Affiliations

    • Division of Emergency Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
    • Institute of Medical Science, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ted H. Chiu

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
    • Department of Pharmacology, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Pharmacology, Tzu Chi University, 701, Section 3, Chung-Yang Road, Hualien, Taiwan

Received 31 October 2007; received in revised form 5 November 2007; accepted 20 November 2007.

Article Outline

Abstract 

Thalidomide has reemerged as a promising anticancer and anti-inflammatory drug despite its devastating congenital birth defects. Many thalidomide derivatives with enhanced antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory effects or greater cytokine inhibition accompanied by less adverse toxicities than the parent drug have been developed. The mechanisms of action of thalidomide and its analogs are complex and not yet fully understood, but studies indicate that their antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory effects play important roles. Thalidomide and lenalidomide have been approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome. The powerful antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and apoptotic effects mean that thalidomide and its immunomodulatory derivatives will continue to be explored in the treatment of a variety of cancers and inflammatory diseases.

Keywords:  Antiangiogenesis , Cytokines , Immunomodulatory drugs , Multiple myeloma , Thalidomide

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PII: S1016-3190(08)60034-8

doi:10.1016/S1016-3190(08)60034-8

Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 20, Issue 3 , Pages 188-195, September 2008

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