Discovery of Selective Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer.

ALDH1A3 is an important member of 19 aldehyde dehydrogenases, which metabolize reactive aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids, detoxify endogenous and exogenous aldehydes, and are also involved in the biosynthesis of retinoic acid. In addition, ALDH1A3 plays important physiological and toxicological roles in different pathologies, including type II diabetes, obesity, cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and neointimal hyperplasia. Consequently, inhibition of ALDH1A3 may offer new therapeutic options for patients with cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorder.