HCQ cures cancer - among its other cures
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12016-010-8243-x
https://archive.is/wip/Z52gK
Published: 08 January 2011
Hydroxychloroquine: From Malaria to Autoimmunity
(excerpts)
Antimicrobial Effects
In addition to its antimalarial effect, HCQ was found to be effective against bacterial and viral infections. Human corona virus (hCoV) caused a near pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002–2003. To date, no specific antiviral drugs for the prevention or treatment of hCoV infection are available. Recently, chloroquine was shown to inhibit the replication and spread of corona virus in vitro [36, 37] and to prevent infection with hCoV in newborn mice [38], showing promise as a potential therapy of this resistant virus.
Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects
The hypoglycemic effect of chloroquine was first demonstrated in a patient with insulin resistance in 1984 [39]. Later on, a clinical trial of non-insulin dependent diabetic patients who were treated with a short course of chloroquine exhibited a significant improvement in glucose tolerance in these patients [40]. When HCQ was combined with insulin for 6 months, the glycated hemoglobin decreased significantly compared to placebo, and the insulin dose had to be reduced by 30% in the HCQ group [41]. In another study, diabetic patients who did not respond to sulfonylurea were successfully treated with HCQ and their glycated hemoglobin was reduced by 1% [42]. The presumed anti-diabetic mechanism of chloroquine is by a decrease in the insulin clearance and degradation rate and an increase in the secretion of C-peptide [43, 44]. Although HCQ was shown to have hypoglycemic effects, it should be noted the current treatment options for diabetes mellitus (DM) are varied and effective, so a role for antimalarials in diabetes treatment is unlikely.
Antithrombotic Effects
Approximately 30 years ago, HCQ was shown to prevent thromboembolic events in patients going total hip replacement [57]. The mechanism was unknown at the time, but it was later shown that HCQ inhibits platelet aggregation and the release of arachidonic acid from stimulated platelets
Antineoplastic Effects
The antineoplastic effect of antimalarials was first observed when a program of chloroquine prophylaxis against malaria in Tanzania was associated with a reduction in the incidence of Burkitt lymphoma [67]. Later, chloroquine was shown to prevent spontaneous lymphoma development in mice models of human Burkitt lymphoma and ataxia telangiectasia, through the suppression of autophagy and an induction of p53-dependent cell death pathway [68]. Hydroxychloroquine was also shown to induce apoptosis of malignant B-cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), through the activation of caspase-3 and modulation of Bcl-2/bax ratio [69, 70]. Recently, a biodegradable nanoparticle drug delivery system loaded with HCQ was shown to produce a strong apoptotic effect on B-CLL cells in vitro [71].
Except for its effect on hematological malignancies, HCQ was also shown to have antineoplastic effects on solid tumors:
(1) An anti breast-cancer effect was shown by demonstration of its antiproliferative effect on the human breast tumor cell models MCF-7 and Bcap-37 [72–74].
(2) An antiproliferative effect on mouse colon cancer cell line was shown, as well as a reduction in tumor volume in vivo with chloroquine treatment [75]. Chloroquine was also shown to potentiate the antiproliferative effect of 5-fluorouracil on the human colorectal cell line HT-29 [76].
(3) Chloroquine was shown to inhibit growth and induce cell death of A549 lung cancer cells [77].
(4) In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients with glioblastoma multiforme who were treated with chloroquine had a much better survival rate compared with non-treated patients [78].
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