Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2025
Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System
Published on: December 11, 2016
Drug Repurposing for Cancer Treatment: A Comprehensive Review
Abdulaziz H Al Khzem1, Mohamed S Gomaa1, Mansour S Alturki1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam 31441, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
Cancer ranks among the primary contributors to global mortality. In 2022, the global incidence of new cancer cases reached about 20 million, while the number of cancer-related fatalities reached 9.7 million. In Saudi Arabia, there were 13,399 deaths caused by cancer and 28,113 newly diagnosed cases of cancer. Drug repurposing is a drug discovery strategy that has gained special attention and implementation to enhance the process of drug development due to its time- and money-saving effect. It involves repositioning existing medications to new clinical applications. Cancer treatment is a therapeutic area where drug repurposing has shown the most prominent impact. This review presents a compilation of medications that have been repurposed for the treatment of various types of cancers. It describes the initial therapeutic and pharmacological classes of the repurposed drugs and their new applications and mechanisms of action in cancer treatment. The review reports on drugs from various pharmacological classes that have been successfully repurposed for cancer treatment, including approved ones and those in clinical trials and preclinical development. It stratifies drugs based on their anticancer repurpose as multi-type, type-specific, and mechanism-directed, and according to their pharmacological classes. The review also reflects on the future potential that drug repurposing has in the clinical development of novel anticancer therapies.
Insights
Drug repurposing offers a faster, cost-effective approach to developing new cancer treatments. This review compiles existing drugs with proven efficacy for various cancer types, highlighting their mechanisms and future potential.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with millions of new cases and deaths annually.
- In 2022, global cancer incidence was approximately 20 million cases, resulting in 9.7 million fatalities.
- Saudi Arabia reported 28,113 new cancer cases and 13,399 deaths in 2022.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compile medications repurposed for cancer treatment.
- To describe the original therapeutic uses and pharmacological classes of these repurposed drugs.
- To analyze their new applications and mechanisms of action in oncology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of repurposed drugs for cancer treatment.
- Compilation of approved drugs, clinical trial candidates, and preclinical agents.
- Stratification of drugs by anticancer application (multi-type, type-specific, mechanism-directed) and pharmacological class.
Main Results:
- Identified various pharmacological classes of drugs successfully repurposed for cancer.
- Detailed initial therapeutic uses and novel anticancer mechanisms of action.
- Categorized repurposed drugs based on their application scope and mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Drug repurposing is a highly impactful strategy in cancer therapy development.
- Repurposed drugs offer a time- and cost-efficient pathway for novel anticancer treatments.
- Future potential of drug repurposing in advancing clinical oncology is significant.
More Related Videos
08:59Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
Published on: December 11, 2017
09:19Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers
01:30Cancer Vaccines
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
01:26Drug Discovery: Overview