[CAS NO. 53003-10-4]  Salinomycin (from Streptomyces albus)

Salinomycin is able to effectively eliminate CSCs and to induce partial clinical regression of heavily pretreated and therapy-resistant cancers. It has also been demonstrated as a positive ionotropic and chronotropic agent that increased cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, coronary artery vasodilatation and blood flow, and plasma catecholamine concentration. These results have been obtained in experiments with mongrel dogs that has received a single intravenous injection of 150 μg/kg salinomycin. However, It has been reported with a considerable toxicity of salinomycin in mammals, such as horses, pigs, cats, and alpacas after accidental oral or inhalative intake. Risk assessment data recently published by the European Food Safety Authority declare an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 5 μg/kg salinomycin for humans, because daily intake of more than 500 μg/kg salinomycin by dogs leads to neurotoxic effects, such as myelin loss and axonal degeneration. Intravenous administration of 200-250 μg/kg salinomycin every second day for three weeks results in partial regression of tumor metastasis and shows only minor acute and long-term side effects, but no severe acute and long-term side effects observed with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs.