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Rediscovering nitroxoline : a metal-chelating agent bridging infection and cancer

Papareddy, Praveen LU orcid ; Mielke, Sophie R M ; Graham, Marlowe ; Bachmann, Dennis ; Proschak, Ewgenij ; Wichelhaus, Thomas A ; Sander, Kerstin and Herwald, Heiko LU orcid (2025) In Drug Discovery Today 30(8).
Abstract

Nitroxoline, a legacy antimicrobial agent, is gaining attention for its potential repurposing in infectious diseases and oncology. Its broad-spectrum activity, including biofilm disruption and metal-chelating properties, supports diverse therapeutic applications. However, its systemic use is limited by rapid urinary excretion, short plasma half-life, and limited tissue distribution. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of action, cross-kingdom activity, and anticancer effects of nitroxoline. Despite encouraging preclinical data, clinical translation is constrained by pharmacokinetic (PK) and regulatory challenges. As interest in repurposing established drugs grows, nitroxoline presents a... (More)

Nitroxoline, a legacy antimicrobial agent, is gaining attention for its potential repurposing in infectious diseases and oncology. Its broad-spectrum activity, including biofilm disruption and metal-chelating properties, supports diverse therapeutic applications. However, its systemic use is limited by rapid urinary excretion, short plasma half-life, and limited tissue distribution. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of action, cross-kingdom activity, and anticancer effects of nitroxoline. Despite encouraging preclinical data, clinical translation is constrained by pharmacokinetic (PK) and regulatory challenges. As interest in repurposing established drugs grows, nitroxoline presents a compelling candidate for integration into modern therapeutic strategies across infectious and neoplastic disease domains.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
Drug Discovery Today
volume
30
issue
8
article number
104419
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:40581150
ISSN
1878-5832
DOI
10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104419
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
id
2b242d36-f176-4eab-9dd3-555d70b09940
date added to LUP
2025-07-09 21:07:27
date last changed
2025-07-10 09:24:13
@article{2b242d36-f176-4eab-9dd3-555d70b09940,
  abstract     = {{<p>Nitroxoline, a legacy antimicrobial agent, is gaining attention for its potential repurposing in infectious diseases and oncology. Its broad-spectrum activity, including biofilm disruption and metal-chelating properties, supports diverse therapeutic applications. However, its systemic use is limited by rapid urinary excretion, short plasma half-life, and limited tissue distribution. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of action, cross-kingdom activity, and anticancer effects of nitroxoline. Despite encouraging preclinical data, clinical translation is constrained by pharmacokinetic (PK) and regulatory challenges. As interest in repurposing established drugs grows, nitroxoline presents a compelling candidate for integration into modern therapeutic strategies across infectious and neoplastic disease domains.</p>}},
  author       = {{Papareddy, Praveen and Mielke, Sophie R M and Graham, Marlowe and Bachmann, Dennis and Proschak, Ewgenij and Wichelhaus, Thomas A and Sander, Kerstin and Herwald, Heiko}},
  issn         = {{1878-5832}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{8}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Drug Discovery Today}},
  title        = {{Rediscovering nitroxoline : a metal-chelating agent bridging infection and cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104419}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104419}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}