Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disease with a complex pathogenesis and high mortality. Developing new drugs for its treatment can be time-consuming and costly. However, repurposing existing drugs can save time, reduce clinical costs, and potentially avoid serious side effects. Today, we will introuduce Nifuroxazide (NIF). NIF is an originally used to treat diarrhea, has shown promising pharmacological effects, including anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. STAT3 is a protein in various cellular processes, including fibrosis and tumor growth. Recent research found, Nifuroxazide is an effective inhibitor of STAT3.

Nifuroxazide is an effective inhibitor of STAT3, also exerts potent anti-tumor and anti-metastasis activity.

Nifuroxazide (NIF) has demonstrated anti-tumor and anti-metastasis activity in various cancer cell lines. Meanwhile, Nifuroxazide inhibits tumor growth and induce apoptosis in melanoma cells. It also inhibits the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and p-Stat3, which are involved in tumor progression. Additionally, Nifuroxazide has been found to inhibit the infiltration of immune cells into the lung, potentially suppressing the distant colonization of tumor cells.

In the context of pulmonary fibrosis, Nifuroxazide has shown promising results. Furthermore, in animal models, NIF (intraperitoneal injection) can relieve and reverse pulmonary fibrosis caused by bleomycin. It inhibits the expression of inflammatory factors and immune cells, as well as the activation of fibroblasts and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epithelial cells induced by TGF-β1. Finally, Nifuroxazide functions in conjunction with STAT3, inhibiting the TGF-β/Smad pathway and decreasing the expression of phosphorylated Stat3. These findings suggest that Nifuroxazide could be a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

In conclusion, Nifuroxazide has shown promising potential as an effective STAT3 inhibitor for pulmonary fibrosis research. Its ability to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation, suppress tumor growth, and reverse pulmonary fibrosis makes it an attractive candidate for further investigation and potential therapeutic use.

References：

[1] Gan C, et al. Respir Res. 2022 Feb 16;23(1):32.

[2] Nelson EA, et al. Blood. 2008 Dec 15;112(13):5095-102

[3] Zhu Y, et al. Sci Rep. 2016 Feb 2;6:20253.