Drug repurposing: re-inventing therapies for cancer without re-entering the development pipeline-a review

Abstract

While majority of the current treatment approaches for cancer remain expensive and are associated with several side effects, development of new treatment modalities takes a significant period of research, time, and expenditure. An alternative novel approach is drug repurposing that focuses on finding new applications for the previously clinically approved drugs. The process of drug repurposing has also been facilitated by current advances in the field of proteomics, genomics, and information computational biology. This approach not only provides cheaper, effective, and potentially safer drugs with less side effects but also increases the processing pace of drug development. In this review, we wish to highlight some recent developments in the area of drug repurposing in cancer with a specific focus on the repurposing potential of anti-psychotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drugs, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, and anti-fungal drugs.

Keywords: Anti-bacterial; Anti-diabetic; Anti-inflammatory; Anti-psychotic; Anti-viral; Cancer; Drug repurposing; Drug resistance.

Fig. 1

Mechanism of action of Brexpiprazole in cancer. Brexpiprazole modulates the activity of serotonin and dopamine; downregulates expression of CD133+ cells, Bmi1, Nanog, and Sox2; and reduces sphere formation ability of CSCs

Fig. 2

Schematic representation of various action of NSAIDs through different targets and its consequences in various conditions and cancer types. NSAIDS have been known to inhibit NF-KB, COX-1, COX-2, 5 LOX, PAF, and PP2A respectively, and supress EGFR in different cancer types

Fig. 3

Pictorial representation of diverge mechanisms of action of ritonavir in different cancers. Ritonavir is thought to apply its anti-cancer action by hindering numerous signaling pathways, including the AKT and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways; it also inhibits survivin, HSP90 substrates and induces ER stress and apoptosis by blocking Akt pathways in various cancers