title: Colchicine: old and new.
abstract: Although colchicine has been a focus of research, debate, and controversy for thousands of years, the US Food and Drug Administration just approved it in 2009. Over the past decade, advances in the knowledge of colchicine pharmacology, drug safety, and mechanisms of action have led to changes in colchicine dosing and to potential new uses for this very old drug. In this review, we discuss the pharmacologic properties of colchicine and summarize what is currently known about its mechanisms of action. We then discuss and update the use of colchicine in a variety of illnesses, including rheumatic and, most recently, cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Health Care System, New York; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Medical Center, New York.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slobodnick
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Health Care System, New York; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Medical Center, New York.
authors.forename: Binita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Health Care System, New York; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Medical Center, New York. Electronic address: michael.pillinger@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pillinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, VA New York Harbor Health Care System, New York; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine/NYU Langone Medical Center, New York.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krasnokutsky
mesh_terms: D003078:Colchicine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D006074:Gout Suppressants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D006074:Gout Suppressants; D051544:Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; D003078:Colchicine
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Colchicine; Gout; Inflammation