Lipidated Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Peptide Antagonists Retain CGRP Receptor Activity and Attenuate CGRP Action .

Signaling through calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors is associated with pain, migraine, and energy expenditure. Small molecule and monoclonal antibody CGRP receptor antagonists that block endogenous CGRP action are in clinical use as anti-migraine therapies. By comparison, the potential utility of peptide antagonists has received less attention due to suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties.

Treatment of breast and colon cancer cell lines with anti-helmintic benzimidazoles mebendazole or albendazole results in selective apoptotic cell death.

Purpose: Anti-helmintic drugs mebendazole and albendazole are commonly used to treat a variety of parasitic infections. They have recently shown some promising results in pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer studies.

Methods: We compare their efficacy in breast and colon cancer cell lines as well as in non-cancerous cells and elucidate their mechanism of action.