Salinomycin: a novel anti-cancer agent with known anti-coccidial activities.

Salinomycin, traditionally used as an anti-coccidial drug, has recently been shown to possess anti-cancer and anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) effects, as well as activities to overcome multi-drug resistance based on studies using human cancer cell lines, xenograft mice, and in case reports involving cancer patients in pilot clinical trials. Therefore, salinomycin may be considered as a promising novel anti-cancer agent despite its largely unknown mechanism of action. This review summarizes the pharmacologic effects of salinomycin and presents possible mechanisms by which salinomycin exerts its anti-tumorigenic activities. Recent advances and potential complications that might limit the utilization of salinomycin as an anti-cancer and anti-CSC agent are also presented and discussed.