Recent publications

Small cell lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths around the globe. In 25–30% of advanced cases, lung cancer metastasizes to the bone, leading to a poorer prognosis and an increased mortality rate.

In a recent breakthrough study, Dr. Jawed Siddiqui’s lab published an article titled “Clofazimine inhibits small-cell lung cancer progression by modulating the kynurenine/aryl hydrocarbon receptor axis.” In this study, Drs. Gunjan Sharma Abdullah Khan, Mohammad Abdullah Khan and Jawed Siddiqui examined whether clofazimine, a drug primarily used to treat leprosy, could slow down the progression of SCLC by modulating the kynurenine/aryl hydrocarbon receptor axis (Kyn/AhR). The researchers focused on how clofazimine influences this oncogenic pathway, which plays an important role in immune regulation and cancer progression. Their goal was to determine if clofazimine could block this pathway to hinder the growth and spread of SCLC, which could potentially offer a new treatment for this aggressive cancer.

The researchers discovered that modulating the kynurenine pathway not only presents a promising strategy for SCLC treatment, but also suppresses the osteoblastic-mediated bone osteoclast formation, resulting in the reduction of bone loss in metastatic SCLC patients. Collectively, these findings suggest that the interaction of clofazimine and AhR blocks the kynurenine pathway, which plays a key role in activating the oncogenic downstream signaling in cancer cell growth and changes in bone cell activity. In essence, this research suggests that clofazimine can be repurposed as a potential treatment, providing hope for more effective therapies for patients suffering from SCLC bone metastasis.

Publication citation:

Sharma G, Abdullah KM, Qais FA, Khan P, Cox JL, Sarwar T, Nasser MW, Batra SK, Siddiqui JA. Clofazimine inhibits small-cell lung cancer progression by modulating the kynurenine/aryl hydrocarbon receptor axis. Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Oct 26:136921. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136921. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39490481.