Antitumor effects of energy restriction-mimetic agents: thiazolidinediones

Abstract

Distinct metabolic strategies used by cancer cells to gain growth advantages, such as shifting from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis, constitute a basis for their selective targeting as a novel approach for cancer therapy. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) are ligands for the nuclear transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and they are clinically used as oral hypoglycemic agents. Accumulating evidence suggests that the ability of TZDs to suppress cancer cell proliferation through the interplay between apoptosis and autophagy was, at least in part, mediated through PPARγ-independent mechanisms. This review highlights recent advances in the pharmacological exploitation of the PPARγ-independent anticancer effects of TZDs to develop novel agents targeting tumor metabolism, including glucose transporter inhibitors and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, which have translational potential as cancer therapeutic agents.