Re-Use of Established Drugs for Anti-Metastatic Indications

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Research
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to distant sites, is the primary cause of cancer-related mortality.
• Current therapeutic strategies primarily focus on treating the primary tumor, with limited options available to specifically target and inhibit the metastatic process.
• The absence of effective anti-metastasis drugs is partly attributed to a lack of suitable preclinical models for screening and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of metastasis in cancer patient mortality.
• To introduce and advocate for the use of established tumor cell migration screening models.
• To propose the evaluation of both novel and existing drugs for their anti-metastasis potential using these models.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing established in vitro and/or in vivo models that accurately recapitulate tumor cell migration.
• Employing these models as a surrogate for metastasis formation in drug screening assays.
• Testing a range of compounds, including novel drug candidates and established drugs from various therapeutic areas.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the utility of tumor cell migration assays as reliable surrogates for evaluating anti-metastasis efficacy.
• Provided evidence supporting the potential of certain compounds to inhibit cancer cell migration.
• Identified a rationale for repurposing existing drugs and developing novel agents targeting metastasis.

Conclusions:

• Tumor cell migration assays represent a significant advancement in the development of anti-metastasis therapies.
• Both novel and established drugs warrant investigation for their ability to inhibit cancer metastasis.
• Targeting cancer cell migration offers a promising therapeutic strategy to combat metastasis-driven cancer mortality.