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Nitroxoline: repurposing its antimicrobial to antitumor application
1Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Abstract:
Cancer is a disease receiving an outstanding input of funds for basic and clinical research but is, nevertheless, still the second leading cause of death in the developed world and a great burden for health systems. New drugs are therefore needed to improve therapy, prolong survival of cancer patients and improve their quality of life. The high cost of development and clinical evaluation of new drugs limits the number that actually enter clinical use. To overcome this problem, repurposing of established drugs for new indications has gained a lot of interest, especially in the field of oncology. The well-established antimicrobial agent nitroxoline has been identified as a promising candidate to be repurposed for cancer treatment in several independent studies. Here we have reviewed a wide range of molecular mechanisms and tumor models involving nitroxoline in impairment of tumor progression. Furthermore, nitroxoline was used as a lead compound for structure-based chemical synthesis of new derivatives in order to improve its potency as well as selectivity for various targets. The potent antitumor activity of nitroxoline points strongly in the direction of its repurposing for cancer treatment and to the benefits of this strategy for patients and healthcare system.
Insights
Nitroxoline, an antimicrobial drug, shows promise for cancer treatment. Repurposing nitroxoline offers a cost-effective strategy to develop new cancer therapies, improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Drug Repurposing
- Antimicrobial Agents
Background:
- Cancer remains a leading cause of death and a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide.
- Developing novel cancer therapeutics is hindered by high costs and lengthy evaluation processes.
- Drug repurposing, particularly in oncology, offers a viable strategy to accelerate the availability of new treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular mechanisms and tumor models demonstrating nitroxoline's efficacy in impairing tumor progression.
- To explore the potential of nitroxoline as a repurposed drug for cancer treatment.
- To assess the development of nitroxoline derivatives for enhanced anticancer potency and selectivity.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating nitroxoline's role in cancer.
- Analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying nitroxoline's antitumor activity.
- Examination of structure-based chemical synthesis of nitroxoline derivatives.
Main Results:
- Nitroxoline has demonstrated potent antitumor activity across various molecular mechanisms and tumor models.
- Studies indicate nitroxoline's effectiveness in impairing tumor progression.
- Chemical synthesis efforts are underway to create more potent and selective nitroxoline derivatives.
Conclusions:
- Nitroxoline is a promising candidate for repurposing as an anticancer agent.
- Repurposing nitroxoline presents significant benefits for cancer patients and healthcare systems.
- Further development of nitroxoline and its derivatives could lead to improved cancer therapies.
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