Inhibitors and Prodrugs Targeting CYP1: A Novel Approach in Cancer Prevention and Therapy

Since Human CYP1 enzymes catalyze the metabolic activation of procarcinogens and deactivation of certain anticancer drugs, the inhibition of these enzymes has been considered as an effective approach for chemoprevention and treatment of CYP1-mediated drug resistance. Recent knowledge relating to the enhanced expression of CYP1B1 in tumors also provided certain advantages in cancer therapy by the activation of prodrugs only in tumor cells. This review concentrates on the characterized CYP1 inhibitors and CYP1-activatied anticancer prodrugs. The mechanism for enzyme inhibition and activation of prodrugs, the cancer preventive/therapeutic potential of these chemicals and their related SARs are highlighted. According to their structural features, CYP1 inhibitors are divided into the following categories: flavonoids, trans-stilbenes, coumarins, terpenoids, alkaloids, quinones, isothiocyanates and synthetic aromatics. In the same way, CYP1-activatied prodrugs are categorized into four groups: benzothiazoles, flavonoids, stilbenes and alkylating agents. Almost all of these inhibitors and prodrugs are planar molecules with one aromatic ring and some have similarity with identified CYP1 substrates. CYP1 inhibitors could effectively block the procarcinogen-induced tumor initiation in animal models and benefit us with chemoprevention. The advent of Phortress and aminoflavone as clinical candidates shows promising perspectives in developing CYP1-mediated prodrugs as chemotherapeutic drugs that are specifically activated in tumors. All of these preclinical and clinical studies indicate that inhibitors and prodrugs target CYP1 are promising anticancer strategies.