Anticancer effect of XAV939 is observed by inhibiting lactose dehydrogenase A in a 3-dimensional culture of colorectal cancer cells.

XAV939, a tankyrase inhibitor, exerts an anticancer effect in 3-dimensional (3D) cultured SW480 cells, however this is not exhibited in 2-dimensional (2D) cultured SW480 cells. In the current study, XAV939 induced a 3.7-fold increase in cellular apoptosis in 3D culture but not in the 2D culture.