Protective role of anticancer drugs in neurodegenerative disorders: A drug repurposing approach

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Chemogenetic Regulation in Reprogrammed Stem Cell-derived Precursor Cells in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases
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Chemogenetic Regulation in Reprogrammed Stem Cell-derived Precursor Cells in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases

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Dia Advani1, Rohan Gupta1, Rahul Tripathi1

  • 1Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India.

Neurochemistry International
|August 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Anticancer drugs, particularly kinase inhibitors, show promise for treating neurodegenerative diseases due to shared biological pathways. Further research is needed to develop these repurposed drugs with minimal toxicity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Neurodegenerative diseases lack effective treatments due to heterogeneity.
  • Drug repurposing offers a novel therapeutic strategy.
  • Anticancer drugs share biological pathways with neurodegenerative conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of repurposing anticancer drugs for neurodegenerative diseases.
  • To explore the role of protein kinases in neurodegeneration.
  • To discuss the neuroprotective effects and potential neurotoxicity of anticancer drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on anticancer drugs in neurodegenerative disease models.
  • Analysis of the role of protein kinases in neurodegeneration.
  • Evaluation of neuroprotective mechanisms and toxicity profiles.

Main Results:

  • Kinase inhibitors developed for cancer show significant neuroprotective effects.
  • Protein kinases play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.
  • Some anticancer drugs exhibit neurotoxicity, necessitating careful selection.

Conclusions:

  • Anticancer drugs, especially kinase inhibitors, represent a promising avenue for neurodegenerative disease therapeutics.
  • Further investigation is required to optimize repurposed anticancer drugs for safety and efficacy in neurodegenerative conditions.
  • Drug repurposing holds potential for developing novel treatments with reduced toxicity.
Keywords:
Anticancer drugsDrug repurposingKinase inhibitorsNeurodegenerative disordersNeurotoxins

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