Revitalizing Cancer Treatment: Exploring the Role of Drug Repurposing

RamaRao Malla1, Sathiyapriya Viswanathan2, Sree Makena3

  • 1Cancer Biology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Bioinformatics, GITAM School of Science, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam 530045, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Cancers
|April 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Drug repurposing offers a cost-effective strategy to find new cancer treatments by using existing medications. This approach accelerates development and addresses challenges like drug resistance, transforming cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of mortality and economic burden.
  • Drug resistance limits the effectiveness of current cancer treatments.
  • Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to combat cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore drug repurposing as a promising strategy for cancer treatment.
  • To review diverse methodologies for identifying and developing repurposed drugs for oncology.
  • To examine the opportunities and challenges associated with drug repurposing in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Knowledge-based analyses
  • Drug-centric strategies
  • Computational approaches
  • Experimental methods
  • Protein re-engineering
  • Nanotechnology

Main Results:

  • Repurposed drugs offer advantages like established safety profiles, cost-effectiveness, and faster development.
  • Various methodologies facilitate the identification of potential drug candidates for repurposing.
  • Challenges include patenting, clinical trial funding, and the need for combination therapies.

Conclusions:

  • Drug repurposing presents a viable and efficient avenue for developing novel cancer therapeutics.
  • Overcoming challenges is crucial for realizing the full potential of repurposed drugs in oncology.
  • This review provides comprehensive insights into the multifaceted landscape of drug repurposing for cancer treatment.

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