title: Niclosamide: Beyond an antihelminthic drug.
abstract: Niclosamide is an oral antihelminthic drug used to treat parasitic infections in millions of people worldwide. However recent studies have indicated that niclosamide may have broad clinical applications for the treatment of diseases other than those caused by parasites. These diseases and symptoms may include cancer, bacterial and viral infection, metabolic diseases such as Type II diabetes, NASH and NAFLD, artery constriction, endometriosis, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease, and systemic sclerosis. Among the underlying mechanisms associated with the drug actions of niclosamide are uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, and modulation of Wnt/β-catenin, mTORC1, STAT3, NF-κB and Notch signaling pathways. Here we provide a brief overview of the biological activities of niclosamide, its potential clinical applications, and its challenges for use as a new therapy for systemic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States. Electronic address: w.chen@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Mook
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Premont
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, United States.
authors.forename: Jiangbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D009534:Niclosamide / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D009534:Niclosamide
keywords: Bacterial and viral infection; Cancer; Lupus; Metabolic diseases; NAFLD; NASH; Neuropathic pain; Niclosamide; Rheumatoid arthritis; Sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease; Systemic sclerosis; Type II diabetes