Drug Repurposing in the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury
Michael K Ghiam1, Shrey D Patel2, Alan Hoffer3
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States.
Frontiers in Neuroscience
|April 9, 2021
Summary
Repurposing drugs like N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), minocycline (MINO), and (-)-phenserine (PHEN) shows promise for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI). These therapeutics offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective benefits for TBI patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability, with no approved pharmacological treatments.
- TBI survivors face increased risks for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
- Drug repurposing offers a faster pathway to effective TBI treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the potential of repurposing existing drugs for TBI treatment.
- To highlight N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), minocycline (MINO), and (-)-phenserine (PHEN) as candidate therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on drug repurposing for TBI.
- Analysis of pharmacological properties of NAC, MINO, and PHEN.
- Evaluation of preclinical and clinical evidence for efficacy in TBI models.
Main Results:
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for TBI.
- Minocycline (MINO) in combination with NAC shows potential in preventing oligodendrocyte damage.
- (-)-phenserine (PHEN) demonstrates neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects, proving effective in TBI treatment.
Conclusions:
- NAC, MINO, and PHEN are promising candidates for repositioned therapeutics in TBI.
- Repurposed drugs offer a viable strategy to accelerate TBI treatment development.
- Further research into these agents could lead to novel TBI therapies.
