An iron chelation-based combinatorial anticancer therapy comprising deferoxamine and a lactate excretion inhibitor inhibits the proliferation of cancer cells.

Combination therapy involving administration of DFO and CHC is effective in cancer cells wherein DFO treatment results in an elevation in lactate levels. Our findings illustrate that the DFO-induced enhanced glycolysis provides specific targets for developing an efficient anticancer combinatorial therapy involving DFO. These findings will be beneficial for the development of novel cancer chemotherapeutics.