Abstract

Cardiac glycosides are a diverse family of naturally derived compounds that bind to and inhibit Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase. Members of this family have been in clinical use for many years for the treatment of heart failure and atrial arrhythmia, and the mechanism of their positive inotropic effect is well characterized. Exciting recent findings have suggested additional signalling modes of action of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, implicating cardiac glycosides in the regulation of several important cellular processes and highlighting potential new therapeutic roles for these compounds in various diseases. Perhaps most notably, the increased susceptibility of cancer cells to these compounds supports their potential use as cancer therapies, and the first generation of glycoside-based anticancer drugs are currently in clinical trials.

Author affiliations

1. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Banting Institute, 100 College Street, Room 110, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L5, Canada.
2. Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute and Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, 6th Floor, 60 Murray Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3L9, Canada.

Correspondence to: Eleftherios P. Diamandis^1,2 Email: ediamandis@mtsinai.on.ca

Published online 24 October 2008

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.