The Wnt signaling pathway is required during embryonic development and for the maintenance of homeostasis in adult tissues. However, aberrant activation of the pathway is implicated in a number of human disorders, including cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, breast, liver, melanoma, and hematologic malignancies. In this study, we identified monensin, a polyether ionophore antibiotic, as a potent inhibitor of Wnt signaling. The inhibitory effect of monensin on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade was observed in mammalian cells stimulated with Wnt ligands, glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitors, and in cells transfected with β-catenin expression constructs. Furthermore, monensin suppressed the Wnt-dependent tail fin regeneration in zebrafish and Wnt- or β-catenin–induced formation of secondary body axis in Xenopus embryos. In Wnt3a-activated HEK293 cells, monensin blocked the phoshorylation of Wnt coreceptor low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 6 and promoted its degradation. In human colorectal carcinoma cells displaying deregulated Wnt signaling, monensin reduced the intracellular levels of β-catenin. The reduction attenuated the expression of Wnt signaling target genes such as cyclin D1 and SP5 and decreased the cell proliferation rate. In multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mice, daily administration of monensin suppressed progression of the intestinal tumors without any sign of toxicity on normal mucosa. Our data suggest monensin as a prospective anticancer drug for therapy of neoplasia with deregulated Wnt signaling. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(4); 812–22. ©2014 AACR.

A new class of compounds, 9-[(2RS)-3-fluoro-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl] [(RS)-FPMP] derivatives of purines, is described that has selective activity against a broad spectrum of retroviruses [including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2)] but not other RNA or DNA viruses. This activity spectrum is completely different from that of the parental compounds, 9-[(2S)-3-hydroxy-2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl] [(S)-HPMP] derivatives of purines, which are active against a broad range of DNA viruses. The racemic (RS)-FPMP derivatives of adenine and 2,6-diaminopurine, termed (RS)-FPMPA and (RS)-FPMPDAP, respectively, are markedly more selective as in vitro antiretroviral agents than their 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl) (PME) counterparts, PMEA and PMEDAP. Also, (RS)-FPMPA and (RS)-FPMPDAP have a substantially higher therapeutic index in mice in inhibiting Moloney murine sarcoma virus-induced tumor formation and associated death and are markedly less inhibitory to human bone marrow cells than PMEA and PMEDAP. The diphosphate derivative of (RS)-FPMPA [(RS)-FPMPApp] is a potent and selective inhibitor of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase but not of HSV-1 DNA polymerase or DNA polymerase alpha. (RS)-FPMPApp, akin to PMEA diphosphate (PMEApp), acts as a DNA chain terminator. The DNA chain-terminating properties of PMEApp and (RS)-FPMPApp seem to be a prerequisite for acyclic nucleoside phosphonates to exhibit antiretrovirus (i.e., anti-HIV) activity.