Statins - the Holy Grail for cancer?

Statins or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors have been used for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and currently are the most commonly prescribed drug class in the world. Besides cholesterol reduction, pre-clinical studies have shown that statins may exert antineoplastic effects, through both HMG-CoA reductase-dependent and HMG-CoA reductase-independent pathways. By competitive inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase, statins prevent post-translational prenylation of the Ras/Rho superfamily, which are important mediators of cell growth, differentiation and survival (1).