Gossypolone for the treatment of cancer

Abstract

A method for treating cancer in a human, which comprises administering to the human subject an anti-cancer effective amount of a compound selected from gossypol, gossypol acetic acid, gossypolone, metabolites thereof, or physiologically acceptable salts thereof. Also included is a method for treating cancer in a human which comprises administering to the human subject an anti-cancer effective amount of any of the compounds listed above in combination with an anti-cancer effective amount of other conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Finally, the invention also encompasses a pharmaceutical composition comprising an anti-cancer effective amount of gossypol, gossypol acetic acid, or gossypolone, and an anti-cancer effective amount of a conventional chemotherapeutic agent, or combinations of the latter.

1. A method for treating a cancer in a human, wherein the cancer is susceptible to treatment with gossypol, a physiologically acceptable salt of gossypol,  gossypolone, a physiologically acceptable salt of gossypolone, or any combination thereof, which method comprises:
 administering to said human an anti-cancer effective amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of gossypol, a physiologically acceptable salt of gossypol,  gossypolone, and a physiologically acceptable salt of gossypolone, and  with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of adrenal, ovarian, thyroid, testicular, pituitary, prostate, or breast cancer.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is adrenal, ovarian, thyroid, testicular, pituitary, prostate, or breast cancer. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim  2   1 , wherein said cancer is adrenal cancer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the blood concentration of said compound is 400 200-1000 ng/dl. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said compound is gossypoloneor a physiologically acceptable salt of gossypolone . 
     
     
       6. The method of claim  5   4 , wherein said gossypolone or physiologically acceptable salt of gossypolone is administered orally, rectally or vaginally at a dose of 50-200 mg/d. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  5   4 , wherein said gossypolone or physiologically acceptable salt of gossypolone is administered parenterally at a dose of 1-5 mg/kg/d. 
     
     
       8. A method for treating a cancer in a human, wherein the cancer is susceptible to treatment with gossypol, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of gossypol, or a combination thereof, which method comprises:
 administering to said human an anti-cancer effective amount of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of gossypol and a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.    
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said cancer is adrenal, ovarian, thyroid, testicular, pituitary, prostate or breast cancer. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said cancer is adrenal cancer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the blood concentration of said compound is 400-1000 ng/dl. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said compound is administrated parenterally at a dose of 1-2 mg/d. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said compound is administered orally at a dose of 20-100 mg/d. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said compound is administered rectally at a dose of 40-140 mg/d. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is ovarian cancer. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is thyroid cancer. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is testicular cancer. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is pituitary cancer. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is prostate cancer. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cancer is breast cancer.