Application of nitroxoline in urologic oncology – a review of evidence

The persistence of high incidence and mortality rates associated with urologic cancers underscores the urgent need for effective and safe treatments. Conventional chemotherapy regimens are often limited by their high toxicity, the cancer’s drug resistance, and the challenge of managing independently evolving multifocal spread. In this context, a repurposing strategy is particularly enticing. It allows for the introduction of a drug with a known safety profile, thus significantly reducing the costs and time necessary to introduce a new treatment. Nitroxoline (NIT), a drug with a well-established pharmacokinetic profile known for over 50 years and utilised in treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections, has recently garnered attention for its potential oncologic applications. Given the pharmacokinetic properties of NIT, our focus was specifically on urologic cancers in which its excretion profile is most advantageous. We examined all available studies, demonstrating significant effectiveness of NIT in inhibiting angiogenesis, tissue invasion, metastasis formation, and counteracting multidrug resistance. The efficacy and mechanism of action of NIT were found to vary across different cell lines. The findings to date are promising, suggesting that NIT or its derivatives could play a role in oncology, although further research is necessary to fully understand its potential and applicability in cancer treatment.