Repurposing tricyclic drugs as cancer therapeutics: comparative analysis of antitumorigenic effects of chlorpromazine, amitriptyline and imipramine - Takeaways - MDSpire

Repurposing tricyclic drugs as cancer therapeutics: comparative analysis of antitumorigenic effects of chlorpromazine, amitriptyline and imipramine

  • By

  • Joos Berghausen

  • Eric Glasgow

  • Tinatin I. Brelidze

  • July 2, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Chlorpromazine (CPZ) demonstrated the strongest antitumorigenic effects among the tested tricyclic drugs in both in vitro and in vivo experiments.

  • 2

    Amitriptyline (AmiT) showed intermediate antitumorigenic effects, while imipramine (ImiP) exhibited the weakest inhibition of cancer cell growth.

  • 3

    All three drugs significantly impaired migration in breast cancer and neuroblastoma cells, but had no effect on melanoma cell migration.

  • 4

    In vivo studies revealed that CPZ and AmiT significantly reduced tumor growth in breast cancer and neuroblastoma xenografts.

  • 5

    None of the tricyclic drugs inhibited tumor growth in melanoma xenografts, indicating a lack of antitumorigenic effect in this cancer type.

Original Source(s)

Repurposing tricyclic drugs as cancer therapeutics: comparative analysis of antitumorigenic effects of chlorpromazine, amitriptyline and imipramine

  • by Joos Berghausen, Eric Glasgow, Tinatin I. Brelidze

  • July 2, 2026

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