ReviewMolecular metabolism2021
Exploring the therapeutic potential of mitochondrial uncouplers in cancer.
Review in Molecular metabolism, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 119 citations in OpenAlex.
- Subcellular photochemistry for precision spatial protein targeting.Nature reviews. Chemistry · 2026Review
- Antitumor Activity of Mitochondrial Uncouplers Based on Platinum (II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes.Cell biochemistry and biophysics · 2026Article
- Maceration, Soxhlet Extraction, and Steam Hydrodistillation ofMolecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Evolution of Adaptive Non-Shivering Thermogenesis in Mammals.Physiology (Bethesda, Md.) · 2026Review
- Discovery of Niclosamide Analogs with Potent Mitochondrial Uncoupling Activity and Reduced Mitochondrial Inhibition-Associated Toxicity.ACS medicinal chemistry letters · 2026Article
- Rafoxanide disrupts mitochondrial homeostasis through VDAC1 modulation in colorectal cancer cells.Cell death discovery · 2026Article
- The role of transmembrane proton transport rates in mild mitochondrial uncoupling by arylamide substituted fatty acids.Chemical science · 2026Article
- Development of Mitochondria-Targeted PARP Inhibitors.Biomolecules · 2026Article
- Hallachrome, a marine anthraquinone, impairs cell proliferation by acting as a functional mitochondrial uncoupler in A375 melanoma cells.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Redox Modulation in Therapy of Cancer: Some Pros and Cons.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Mitochondrial dysfunction in hepatocellular carcinoma: from metabolism to targeted therapies.Molecular and cellular biochemistry · 2025Review
- Nucleoside diphosphate kinase strongly promotes GDP and ADP metabolism in the cell and affects endogenous proton leak in mitochondria - the kinase is hampered by oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors.Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry · 2025Article
- Mitochondrial uncoupling, energy substrate utilization, and brown adipose tissue as therapeutic targets in cancer.npj metabolic health and disease · 2025Review
- Mild Mitochondrial Uncoupling for True Ectopic Lipid Disposal.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- The effects of mitochondrial damage and energy metabolism disorders on the progression of noise-induced deafness and its treatment.Head & face medicine · 2025Review
- Cystobactamid off-target profiling reveals favorable safety, superoxide reduction, and SCARB1 inhibition in eukaryotes.npj drug discovery · 2025Article
- Tumor metabolome remolded by low dose mitochondrial uncoupler elicites robust CD8Cell death discovery · 2025Article
- Review
- Role of oxeiptosis in disease mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities.Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 2025Review
- Targeting Mitochondrial Dysfunction to Prevent Endothelial Dysfunction and Atherosclerosis in Diabetes: Focus on the Novel Uncoupler BAM15.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMitochondrial uncouplers are well-known for their ability to treat a myriad of metabolic diseases, including obesity and fatty liver diseases. However, for many years now, mitochondrial uncouplers have also been evaluated in diverse models of cancer in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, some mitochondrial uncouplers are now in clinical trials for cancer, although none have yet been approved for the treatment of cancer. SCOPE OF REVIEW: In this review we summarise published studies in which mitochondrial uncouplers have been investigated as an anti-cancer therapy in preclinical models. In many cases, mitochondrial uncouplers show strong anti-cancer effects both as single agents, and in combination therapies, and some are more toxic to cancer cells than normal cells. Furthermore, the mitochondrial uncoupling mechanism of action in cancer cells has been described in detail, with consistencies and inconsistencies between different structural classes of uncouplers. For example, many mitochondrial uncouplers decrease ATP levels and disrupt key metabolic signalling pathways such as AMPK/mTOR but have different effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Many of these effects oppose aberrant phenotypes common in cancer cells that ultimately result in cell death. We also highlight several gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed before we have a clear direction and strategy for applying mitochondrial uncouplers as anti-cancer agents. MAJOR
conclusionsThere is a large body of evidence supporting the therapeutic use of mitochondrial uncouplers to treat cancer. However, the long-term safety of some uncouplers remains in question and it will be critical to identify which patients and cancer types would benefit most from these agents.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.