Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (2): 557-570.doi: 10.1007/s40242-026-5309-8

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Repurposing COX-2 Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy: Advances in Nanomedicine Delivery

XU Henan1, ZHANG Ruohao2, WANG Daguang1, JIANG Yuxin3, FENG Jing2, ZHANG Hongjie2   

  1. 1. Department of Gastrocolorectal Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P. R. China;
    2. State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China;
    3. College of Pharmacy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, P. R. China
  • Received:2025-12-29 Online:2026-04-01 Published:2026-04-02
  • Contact: WANG Daguang,E-mail:dgwang@jlu.edu.cn;JIANG Yuxin,E-mail:jjyyxx2023@163.com;FENG Jing,E-mail:fengj@ciac.ac.cn;ZHANG Hongjie,E-mail:hongjie@ciac.ac.cn E-mail:dgwang@jlu.edu.cn;jjyyxx2023@163.com;fengj@ciac.ac.cn;hongjie@ciac.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Science and Technology Development Plan of Jilin Province, China (No. 20240601006RC).

Abstract: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors are widely used as anti-inflammatory agents in clinical treatments. Increasing evidence indicates that COX-2 is overexpressed in most tumors, and its downstream metabolites play crucial roles in tumor inititation, growth, and metastasis. Although COX-2 inhibitors do not exert direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, they can suppress tumor progression by reducing the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Therefore, COX-2 inhibitors have emerged as promising antitumor adjuvants. However, when combined with conventional antitumor drugs, the clinical application of COX-2 inhibitors is often limited by mismatched physicochemical properties and dose-related adverse effects. Nanotechnology offers effective solutions to these challenges by improving drug delivery efficiency and reducing systemic toxicity. In this review, we summarize the rationale and fundamental mechanisms underline the antitumor effects of COX-2 inhibitors. We further highlight their emerging role as antitumor companions in synergistic immunotherapy, suppression of tumor recurrence after chemotherapy, enhancement of chemotherapy efficacy, amplification of photothermal and photodynamic therapies (PDT/PTT), and facilitation of combination strategies involving ferroptosis.

Key words: COX-2 inhibitor, Tumor therapy, Nanomedicine, Immunotherapy, Drug delivery