Clinical Implications of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms in Anticancer Therapy: An Updated Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. UGT1A1: From Gene to Protein
UGT1A1 Variants
3. UGT1A1 Substrates and Inhibitors in Anti-Cancer Therapy
3.1. UGT1A1 Substrates
3.2. Functional UGT1A1 Anti-Cancer Inhibitor
4. Clinical Impact of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms: From Pharmacokinetics to Clinical Practice
5. Guidelines for UGT1A1 Testing in Clinical Practice
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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| UGT1A1 Allele | dbSNP Reference | Variant Type | AA Change | Location | UGT1A1 Expression/Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGT1A1*1 | rs8175347 | A(TA)6TAA | - | Promoter | Normal (100%) |
| UGT1A1*28 | rs8175347 | A(TA)7TAA | - | Promoter | Reduced expression |
| UGT1A1*36 | rs8175347 | A(TA)5TAA | - | Promoter | Increased expression |
| UGT1A1*37 | rs8175347 | A(TA)8TAA | - | Promoter | Reduced expression |
| UGT1A1*6 | rs4148323 | c.211G > A | p.(Gly71Arg) | Exon 1 | Reduced activity |
| UGT1A1*60 | rs4124874 | c.-3279T > G | - | Exon 1 | Reduced expression |
| UGT1A1*93 | rs10929302 | c.-3156G > A | - | Exon 1 | Reduced expression |
| Predicted UGT1A1 Phenotype | Genotype |
|---|---|
| Normal metabolizer | *1/*1, *1/*36, *36/*36 |
| Intermediate metabolizer | *1/*28, *1/*6, *1/*37, *6/*36, *28/*36, *36/*37 |
| Poor metabolizer | *6/*6, *6/*28, *28/*28, *6/*37, *28/*37, *37/*37 |
| Drug | Selected Indications | Clinically Relevant UGT1A1 Variants | Main Toxicities | UGT1A1 Variants and Toxicity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irinotecan | mCRC, SCLC, NSCLC, GC, OC | UGT1A1*28; UGT1A1*6 | Neutropenia, diarrhea | Yes |
| Etoposide | AML, HL, NHL, GC, OC | UGT1A1*28 | Myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting | UKN |
| Sacituzumab govitecan | mTNBC, mUC | UGT1A1*28 | Nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, neutropenia and anaemia | Yes |
| Belinostat | PTCL | UGT1A1*28; UGT1A1*60 | Nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia | Yes |
| Axitinib | aRCC | UKN | Diarrhea, hypertension, fatigue and nausea | UKN |
| Drug | Target | Indications | UGT1A1 Inhibition | Induced Hyperbilirubinaemia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapatinib | HER2 | HER2+ BC | Strong | Yes |
| Nilotinib | BCR::ABL1 | CML | Strong | Yes |
| Pazopanib | Multiple kinases | aRCC and sarcoma | Strong | Yes |
| Regorafenib | Multiple kinases | mCRC | Strong | Yes |
| Sorafenib | Multiple kinases | HC, aRCC, mTC | Strong | UKN |
| Imatinib | BCR::ABL1; cKIT | CML, GIST | Intermediate | UKN |
| Erlotinib | EGFR | mNSCLC, mPC | Weak | Yes |
| Gefitinib | EGFR | aNSCLC | Weak | Yes |
| Sunitinib | Multiple kinases | GIST, aRCC, pNET | Weak | No |
| Everolimus | mTOR | aBC, pNET, RCC | Weak | No |
| Organization | Drug | UGT1A1 Variant | Recommendations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIOM-SIF | Irinotecan | *28/*28 | 30% dose reduction; no guidance for other drugs |
| CPIC | Irinotecan | N/A | Level A: genetic profile can guide dosing |
| Belinostat | N/A | Level B: evidence may inform prescribing | |
| DPWG | Irinotecan | *28/*28 | 30% starting dose reduction; increase guided by neutrophil counts if tolerated; no adjustment for heterozygotes |
| EMA | Irinotecan | *28/*28 | Initial dose reduction recommended; no guidance for other drugs |
| FDA | Irinotecan | *28/*28 | Warning: predicts severe neutropenia |
| Belinostat | *28/*28 | Reduced starting dose: 750 mg/m2 | |
| Pazopanib/Nilotinib | *28/*28 | Increased risk of hyperbilirubinemia | |
| NCCN | Irinotecan | Gilbert’s syndrome/*28 | Exercise caution; no formal dose recommendation |
| RNPGx | Irinotecan | PM/IM/NM | Initial dose reduction only for PM; stratify patients by metabolism status |
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Vitale, S.R.; Drago, M.; Martorana, F.; Conti, C.; Massimino, M.; Stella, S.; Tomarchio, C.; Vigneri, P.; Manzella, L. Clinical Implications of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms in Anticancer Therapy: An Updated Review. Pharmaceutics 2026, 18, 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18080928
Vitale SR, Drago M, Martorana F, Conti C, Massimino M, Stella S, Tomarchio C, Vigneri P, Manzella L. Clinical Implications of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms in Anticancer Therapy: An Updated Review. Pharmaceutics. 2026; 18(8):928. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18080928
Chicago/Turabian StyleVitale, Silvia R., Melissa Drago, Federica Martorana, Chiara Conti, Michele Massimino, Stefania Stella, Cristina Tomarchio, Paolo Vigneri, and Livia Manzella. 2026. "Clinical Implications of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms in Anticancer Therapy: An Updated Review" Pharmaceutics 18, no. 8: 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18080928
APA StyleVitale, S. R., Drago, M., Martorana, F., Conti, C., Massimino, M., Stella, S., Tomarchio, C., Vigneri, P., & Manzella, L. (2026). Clinical Implications of UGT1A1 Polymorphisms in Anticancer Therapy: An Updated Review. Pharmaceutics, 18(8), 928. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18080928

