LDH Cancer Research Results

LDH, Lactate Dehydrogenase: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
LDH is a general term that refers to the enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate. LDH is a tetrameric enzyme, meaning it is composed of four subunits.
LDH refers to the enzyme as a whole, while LDHA specifically refers to the M subunit. Elevated LDHA levels are often associated with poor prognosis and aggressive tumor behavior, similar to elevated LDH levels.
leakage of LDH is a well-known indicator of cell membrane integrity and cell viability [35]. LDH leakage results from the breakdown of the plasma membrane and alterations in membrane permeability, and is widely used as a cytotoxicity endpoint.

However, it's worth noting that some studies have shown that LDHA is a more specific and sensitive biomarker for cancer than total LDH, as it is more closely associated with the Warburg effect and cancer metabolism.

Dysregulated LDH activity contributes significantly to cancer development, promoting the Warburg effect (Chen et al., 2007), which involves increased glucose uptake and lactate production, even in the presence of oxygen, to meet the energy demands of rapidly proliferating cancer cells (Warburg and Minami, 1923; Dai et al., 2016b). LDHA overexpression favors pyruvate to lactate conversion, leading to tumor microenvironment acidification and aiding cancer progression and metastasis.

Inhibitors:
Flavonoids, a group of polyphenols abundant in fruit, vegetables, and medicinal plants, function as LDH inhibitors.
LDH is used as a clinical biomarker for Synthetic liver function, nutrition

Tier A — Direct LDH Enzyme Inhibitors (Validated Catalytic Inhibition)

Rank Compound Type LDH Target Potency Level Primary Effect Notes
1 NCI-006 Research drug LDHA / LDHB High (in vivo active) Potent glycolysis suppression Modern benchmark LDH inhibitor used in metabolic oncology models.
2 (R)-GNE-140 Research drug LDHA (±LDHB) High (nM range reported) Lactate production ↓ Widely used experimental LDH inhibitor.
3 FX11 Research drug LDHA High (μM range) Metabolic crisis in LDHA-dependent tumors Classic LDHA inhibitor; often increases ROS secondary to metabolic stress.
4 Oxamate Tool compound LDH (pyruvate-competitive) Moderate (mM cellular use) Reduces lactate flux Classical LDH inhibitor; requires high concentrations in cells.
5 Gossypol Natural product derivative LDHA Moderate–High Glycolysis inhibition Also has other targets; safety considerations apply.
6 Galloflavin Natural compound LDH isoforms Moderate Lactate production ↓ One of the better-supported “natural-like” LDH inhibitors.

Tier B — Indirect LDH-Axis Modulators (Glycolysis / Lactate Reduction Without Confirmed Direct Catalytic Inhibition)

Rank Compound Mechanism Type LDH Claim Type Primary Axis Notes / Caution
1 Lonidamine MCT/MPC modulation Lactate axis inhibition Metabolic transport blockade Better classified as lactate/pyruvate transport modulator.
2 Stiripentol Repurposed drug LDH pathway modulation Metabolic axis modulation Emerging oncology interest; primarily neurological drug.
3 Quercetin Flavonoid Reported LDH inhibition (mixed evidence) NF-κB / PI3K modulation Often LDH-release confusion; direct enzymatic proof limited.
4 Ursolic acid Triterpenoid Reported LDH interaction Warburg modulation More credible as metabolic signaling modulator.
5 Fisetin Flavonoid Docking / indirect reports Apoptosis / survival signaling Enzyme inhibition not well validated.
6 Resveratrol Polyphenol Indirect glycolysis suppression AMPK / HIF-1α modulation Reduces lactate via upstream signaling.
7 Curcumin Polyphenol Indirect LDH expression modulation Inflammation + metabolic signaling Bioavailability limits translational strength.
8 Berberine Alkaloid Indirect metabolic modulation AMPK activation Closer to metformin-like metabolic pressure.
9 Honokiol Lignan Indirect glycolysis effects Survival pathway suppression Not validated as catalytic LDH inhibitor.
10 Silibinin Flavonolignan Mixed / indirect reports Inflammation + metabolic axis Often misclassified as LDH inhibitor.
11 Kaempferol Flavonoid Often LDH-release marker confusion Glucose transport / signaling Do not list as direct LDH inhibitor without enzyme data.
12 Oleanolic acid / Limonin / Allicin / Taurine Natural compounds Weak / indirect evidence General metabolic modulation Should not be categorized as true LDH inhibitors.

Tier A = Direct catalytic LDH inhibition (enzyme-level validation).
Tier B = Indirect lactate reduction or glycolytic modulation without strong catalytic inhibition evidence.
Important: LDH release assays (cell damage marker) are not proof of LDH enzymatic inhibition.



Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
3040- SK,    Pharmacological Properties of Shikonin – A Review of Literature since 2002
- Review, Var, NA - Review, IBD, NA - Review, Stroke, NA
*Half-Life↝, One study using H-shikonin in mice showed that shikonin was rapidly absorbed after oral and intramuscular administration, with a half-life in plasma of 8.79 h and a distribution volume of 8.91 L/kg.
*BioAv↓, shikonin is generally used in creams and ointments, that is, oil-based preparations; indeed, its insolubility in water is usually the cause of its low bioavailability
*BioAv↑, 200-fold increase in the solubility, photostability, and in vitro permeability of shikonin through the formation of a 1 : 1 inclusion complex with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin.
*BioAv↑, 181-fold increase in the solubility of shikonin in aqueous media in the presence of β-lactoglobulin at a concentra- tion of 3.1 mg/mL
*Inflam↓, anti-inflammatory effect of shikonin
*TNF-α↓, shikonin inhibited TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated rat primary macrophages as well as NF-κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.
*other↑, authors found that treatment with shikonin prevented the shortening of the colorectum and decreased weight loss by 5 % while improving the ap- pearance of feces and preventing bloody stools.
*MPO↓, MPO activity was reduced as well as the expression of COX-2, the activation of NF-κB and that of STAT3.
*COX2↓,
*NF-kB↑,
*STAT3↑,
*antiOx↑, Antioxidant Effects of Shikonin
*ROS↓, radical scavenging activity of shikonin
*neuroP↑, shown to exhibit a neuroprotective effect against the damage caused by ischemia/reperfusion in adult male Kunming mice
*SOD↑, it also attenuated neuronal damage and the upregulation of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities while reducing the glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio.
*Catalase↑,
*GPx↑,
*Bcl-2↑, shikonin upregulated Bcl-2, downregulated Bax and prevented cell nuclei from undergoing morphological changes typical of apoptosis.
*BAX↓,
cardioP↑, Two different studies have suggested a possible cardioprotective effect of shikonin that would be related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
AntiCan↑, A wide spectrum of anticancer mechanisms of action have been described for shikonin:
NF-kB↓, suppression of NF-κB-regulated gene products [44],
ROS↑, ROS generation [46],
PKM2↓, inhibition of tumor-specific pyruvate kinase-M2 [47,48]
TumCCA↑, cell cycle arrest [49]
Necroptosis↑, or induction of necroptosis [50],
Apoptosis↑, shikonin at 1 μM induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in U937 cells after 6 h with an increase in DNA fragmentation, intracellular ROS, low mitochondrial membrane potential
DNAdam↑,
MMP↓,
Cyt‑c↑, At 10 μM, shikonin induced a greater release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and of lactate dehydrogenase,
LDH↝,


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

ROS↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

LDH↝, 1,   PKM2↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Apoptosis↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   Necroptosis↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

TumCCA↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

NF-kB↓, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

LDH↝, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 13

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 1,   Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   MPO↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

BAX↓, 1,   Bcl-2↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

other↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

STAT3↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 1,   NF-kB↑, 1,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 1,   BioAv↑, 2,   Half-Life↝, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

neuroP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 18

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: LDH, Lactate Dehydrogenase
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

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