Disulfiram / CSCs Cancer Research Results

DSF, Disulfiram: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Disulfiram is a synthetic small-molecule drug best known for its use in the treatment of chronic alcohol use disorder. It is a thiuram disulfide compound with the chemical formula C₁₀H₂₀N₂S₄ and acts primarily as an aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor. 
Main Actions:
-Potent copper-dependent pro-oxidant
-Targets ALDH⁺ cancer stem cells
-Strong clinical repurposing interest

Key pathways
-Cu-mediated redox cycling
-Proteasome inhibition
-Mitochondrial ROS

Chemo relevance
-Often synergistic
-Highly mechanism-dependent
Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells Label Primary Interpretation Notes
1 Metal chelation / Disulfiram–Cu complex formation ↑ DSF–Cu complex formation ↔ limited formation Driver Copper-dependent cytotoxic chemistry Elevated copper in cancer cells enables formation of cytotoxic DSF–Cu complexes; this is the initiating event for most anticancer effects
2 Proteasome / p97–NPL4 axis ↓ proteasome function; ↑ proteotoxic stress ↔ minimal disruption Driver Protein homeostasis collapse DSF–Cu disrupts protein degradation pathways, leading to accumulation of misfolded proteins and stress signaling
3 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS (metal-dependent) ↔ buffered Secondary Oxidative stress amplification ROS rise follows DSF–Cu redox cycling and proteotoxic stress; not the primary trigger
4 Mitochondrial integrity / intrinsic apoptosis ↓ ΔΨm; ↑ caspase activation ↔ preserved Secondary Execution of cell death Mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis occur downstream of proteostasis and redox stress
5 ALDH activity (ALDH1A1 / stemness) ↓ ALDH activity ↓ ALDH (clinically tolerated) Secondary Cancer stem-like cell targeting ALDH inhibition preferentially impacts cancer stem-like populations; normal cells tolerate inhibition at therapeutic exposure
6 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation ↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone Secondary Suppression of survival transcription NF-κB inhibition reflects upstream proteotoxic and redox stress rather than direct targeting
7 Cell cycle progression ↓ proliferation / ↑ arrest ↔ largely spared Phenotypic Cytostatic growth control Growth inhibition reflects impaired protein turnover and metabolic stress
8 Apoptosis / non-apoptotic death ↑ apoptosis or proteotoxic death ↔ protected Phenotypic Threshold-dependent cell death Cell death modality depends on copper availability and stress magnitude


CSCs, Cancer Stem Cells: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Cancer Stem Cells

Phytochemicals (natural plant-derived compounds) that may affect CSCs:
Curcumin
— suppresses self-renewal and pathways (Wnt/Notch/Hedgehog).
Resveratrol
— shown to reduce CSC populations and sphere formation in multiple models.
Sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts)
— reported to inhibit CSC properties and pathways; active in vitro and in vivo.
EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate, green tea)
— reduces CSC markers and sphere formation in several cancer types.
Quercetin
— reported to inhibit CSC proliferation, self-renewal and invasiveness (breast, endometrial, others).
Berberine
— shown to suppress CSC “stemness” and reduce tumorigenic properties in multiple models.
Genistein (soy isoflavone)
— decreases CSC markers, sphere formation and stemness signaling in prostate/breast/other models.
Honokiol (Magnolia bark)
— shown to eliminate or suppress CSC-like populations in oral, colon, glioma models.
Luteolin
— inhibits stemness/EMT and reduces CSC markers and self-renewal in breast, prostate and other models.
Withaferin A (from Withania somnifera / ashwagandha)
— multiple preclinical reports show WA targets CSCs and reduces tumor growth/metastasis in models.

Circadian disruption in cancer and regulation of cancer stem cells by circadian clock genes: An updated review
Potential Role of the Circadian Clock in the Regulation of Cancer Stem Cells and Cancer Therapy
Can we utilise the circadian clock to target cancer stem cells?
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4914- DSF,  immuno,    Disulfiram and cancer immunotherapy: Advanced nano-delivery systems and potential therapeutic strategies
- Review, Var, NA
AntiTum↑, eff↑, ALDH↓, Dose↝, RadioS↑, angioG↓, TumMeta↓, BioAv↝, ROS↑, DNAdam↑, P-gp↓, CSCs↓, EMT↓, Imm↑, SOD↓, MAPK↓, NF-kB↓, ChemoSen↑, eff↑, toxicity↝, BioAv↑, *Inflam↓, Sepsis↓,
4915- DSF,  Cu,    Disulfiram: A novel repurposed drug for cancer therapy
- Review, Var, NA
ROS↑, TumCD↑, NF-kB↓, CSCs↓, ChemoSen↑, RadioS↑, eff↑, selectivity↑, Proteasome?,
4916- DSF,  Cu,    The immunomodulatory function and antitumor effect of disulfiram: paving the way for novel cancer therapeutics
- Review, Var, NA
TumCP↓, TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, eff↑, Imm↑, ROS↑, NF-kB↓, chemoP↑, JNK↑, FOXO↑, Myc↑, TumCCA↑, Apoptosis↑, RadioS↑, PD-L1↑, eff↑, CSCs↓, Dose↝, Half-Life↑,
5012- DSF,  Cu,    Advancing Cancer Therapy with Copper/Disulfiram Nanomedicines and Drug Delivery Systems
ROS↑, ALDH↓, TumCP↓, CSCs↓, angioG↓, TumMeta↓, DNAdam↑, Proteasome↓, SOD1↓, GSR↓, ox-GSSG↑, GSH/GSSG↓, MMP↓, Akt↓, cycD1/CCND1↓, NF-kB↓, CSCs↓, MAPK↓, angioG↓, DrugR↓, EMT↓, Vim↓, BioAv↑, eff↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 4 of 4

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 4

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

GSH/GSSG↓, 1,   GSR↓, 1,   ox-GSSG↑, 1,   ROS↑, 4,   SOD↓, 1,   SOD1↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 1,   JNK↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 2,   Myc↑, 1,   Proteasome?, 1,   Proteasome↓, 1,   TumCD↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 2,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ALDH↓, 2,   CSCs↓, 5,   EMT↓, 2,   FOXO↑, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 2,   TumMeta↓, 2,   Vim↓, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 3,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

P-gp↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Imm↑, 2,   NF-kB↓, 4,   PD-L1↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↑, 2,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 2,   Dose↝, 2,   DrugR↓, 1,   eff↑, 6,   Half-Life↑, 1,   RadioS↑, 3,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

Myc↑, 1,   PD-L1↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiTum↑, 1,   chemoP↑, 1,   toxicity↝, 1,  

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

Sepsis↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 47

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Inflam↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 1

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: CSCs, Cancer Stem Cells
4 Disulfiram
3 Copper and Cu NanoParticles
1 immunotherapy
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:387  Target#:795  State#:%  Dir#:1
  wNotes=0  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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