Macrolide antibiotics, such as Clarithromycin (Cla), have been proven to exert anti-tumour activity in several preclinical models of different types of cancer. Cla can exert its anti-tumour effects through different mechanisms, e.g. by blocking the autophagic flux, inducing apoptosis or inhibiting tumour-induced angiogenesis. The clinical benefit of Cla in treating various tumours in combination with conventional treatment was confirmed in extensive clinical studies in patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma and other haematological malignancies. Data regarding the anti-cancer effect of Cla on Colorectal Cancer (CRC) are still lacking. This article shares data on the in vivo efficacy of Cla in two xenograft models of CRC. Our results show that Cla treatment reduces tumour growth and increases the overall survival in CRC mouse xenograft models. Moreover, the Western blot analysis of autophagic and apoptotic markers suggests that the anti-tumour effects of Cla are related to a modulation of both cellular processes. The data suggest that it will worth consider Cla as treatment option for CRC patients.
Keywords: Autophagy; Colorectal cancer; Macrolides; Xenograft.