Beyond DNA binding - A review of the potential mechanisms mediating quinacrine's therapeutic activities in parasitic infections, inflammation, and cancers

Abstract

This is an in-depth review of the history of quinacrine as well as its pharmacokinetic properties and established record of safety as an FDA-approved drug. The potential uses of quinacrine as an anti-cancer agent are discussed with particular attention to its actions on nuclear proteins, the arachidonic acid pathway, and multi-drug resistance, as well as its actions on signaling proteins in the cytoplasm. In particular, quinacrine's role on the NF-κB, p53, and AKT pathways are summarized. © 2011 Ehsanian et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.