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Repurposing Artemisinin and its Derivatives as Anticancer Drugs: A Chance or Challenge?

Zhaowu Ma1, Clariis Yi-Ning Woon2, Chen-Guang Liu1

  • 1School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|January 17, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Artemisinin, an antimalarial drug, shows promise as an anticancer therapy by targeting tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. This review explores its mechanisms, potential, and challenges for clinical use.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Cancer is a leading global cause of death, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Traditional drug discovery is lengthy; drug repurposing offers a faster alternative for identifying new anticancer agents.
  • Artemisinin, an established antimalarial, exhibits promising anticancer activities in preclinical studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular and cellular mechanisms of artemisinin's anticancer effects.
  • To explore signaling pathways targeted by artemisinin and its derivatives in cancer.
  • To identify challenges and potential solutions for repurposing artemisinin as an anticancer drug.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on artemisinin's anticancer properties.
  • Analysis of molecular and cellular mechanisms of action.
  • Evaluation of pharmacokinetic properties and formulation challenges.

Main Results:

  • Artemisinin derivatives exhibit anticancer effects through various molecular and cellular pathways.
  • Key signaling pathways involved in tumor proliferation and metastasis are modulated by artemisinin.
  • Pharmacokinetic limitations and formulation issues currently hinder clinical translation.

Conclusions:

  • Artemisinin holds significant potential for repurposing as an anticancer agent.
  • Overcoming pharmacokinetic and formulation challenges is crucial for its clinical application.
  • Further research into optimized artemisinin-type compounds could lead to new cancer therapies.
Keywords:
anticancer therapyartemisininartemisinin derivativesdrug repurposingpharmacokineticssignalling pathways

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