Antipsychotic Drug Fluphenazine against Human Cancer Cells

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Drug repurposing accelerates the development of novel therapeutics by utilizing existing drugs with known safety profiles.
• Anticancer drug development is time-consuming and expensive; repurposing approved drugs offers a cost-effective alternative.
• Fluphenazine, an established drug, has demonstrated potential for anticancer applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on the anticancer potential of fluphenazine.
• To summarize the efficacy of fluphenazine against diverse human cancer cell lines.
• To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying fluphenazine's cytotoxic effects in cancer.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search for studies investigating fluphenazine's effects on cancer cells.
• Analysis of research articles detailing cytotoxic effects, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis induction, and pathway modulation.
• Synthesis of findings regarding fluphenazine's impact on cancer-related proteins and cellular processes.

Main Results:

• Fluphenazine exhibits cytotoxic effects across various cancer types, including lung, breast, colon, liver, brain, leukemia, oral, ovarian, and skin cancer.
• The drug modulates cell cycle, inhibits proliferation, and induces apoptosis in cancer cells.
• Fluphenazine acts as a calmodulin inhibitor and targets cancer-related proteins like ABCB1 and P-glycoprotein, influencing Akt and Wnt signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

• Fluphenazine demonstrates significant anticancer potential through multiple mechanisms, including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis induction, and pathway interference.
• The drug's ability to affect DNA integrity, cell invasion, migration, and ROS generation further supports its therapeutic promise.
• Fluphenazine is a promising candidate for further investigation and development as an oncologic therapy.