ROLE OF DEFEROXAMINE IN TUMOR-THERAPY

Several studies are consistent with the hypothesis that available iron may have some role in promoting tumor cell growth with different biol ogical mechanisms. For this reason, several studies have been carried out to demonstrate the antitumor activity of deferoxamine (DFO), an ir on chelator with a high affinity for ferritin-bound iron. In particula r, the effects of DFO have been studied in patients with neuroblastoma , where ferritin is in part tumor derived and high concentrations corr elate with poor outcome. To date, in vitro and in vivo studies demonst rating the antitumor effects of DFO are very promising, but further in vestigations are required to establish an exact role for DFO in the tr eatment of cancer.