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Aliabadi A, Haghshenas MR, Kiani R, Panjehshahin MR, Erfani N. Promising anticancer activity of cromolyn in colon cancer: in vitro and in vivo analysis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:207. [PMID: 38647571 PMCID: PMC11035410 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05741-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Colon cancer is a prevalent cancer globally, representing approximately 10% of all cancer cases and accounting for 10% of all cancer-related deaths. Therefore, finding new therapeutic methods with high efficiency will be very valuable. Cromolyn (C), a common anti-allergic and mast cell membrane stabilizing drug, has recently shown valuable anti-cancer effects in several studies. This study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer activity of cromolyn on colon cancer in vitro and in vivo and to determine values such as selectivity index and survival effect. METHODS HT-29 (colon cancer) and MCF-10 (normal epithelial) cell lines were treated with C and Doxorubicin (DOX; Positive control). IC50 values and the effects of C and DOX on apoptosis were explored using methyl thiazole diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Annexin V/PI Apoptosis Assay Kit. To investigate in an animal study, colon cancer was subcutaneously induced by CT26 cells (mouse colon cancer) in bulb/c mice. Mice were treated with 0.05 LD50 intraperitoneal every other day for 35 days. After the death of mice, tumor volume, tumor weight, and survival rate were evaluated. RESULTS C selectively and significantly suppressed the proliferation of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 values for the MCF-10 and HT29 cell lines were 7.33 ± 0.78 μM and 2.33 ± 0.6 μM, respectively. Notably, the selective index (SI) highlighted that C displayed greater selectivity in inhibiting cancer cell growth compared to DOX, with SI values of 3.15 and 2.60, respectively. C exhibited higher effectiveness and selectivity in inducing apoptosis in cancer cells compared to DOX, with a significant p-value (61% vs. 52%, P-value ≤ 0.0001). Also, in mice bearing colon cancer, C reduced the tumor volume (6317 ± 1685mm3) and tumor weight (9.8 ± 1.6 g) compared to the negative control group (weight 12.45 ± 0.9 g; volume 7346 ± 1077) but these values were not statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION Our study showed that cromolyn is a selective and strong drug in inhibiting the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Based on our results, the efficacy of C in vitro analysis (MTT assays and apoptosis), as well as animal studies is competitive with the FDA-approved drug doxorubicin. C is very promising as a low-complication and good-efficacy drug for cancer drug repositioning. This requires clinical research study designs to comprehensively evaluate its anti-cancer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Aliabadi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Haghshenas
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Razie Kiani
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Nasrollah Erfani
- Shiraz Institute for Cancer Research, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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Rohilla A, Rohilla S. Drug Repositioning: A Monetary Stratagem to Discover a New Application of Drugs. Curr Drug Discov Technol 2024; 21:e101023222023. [PMID: 38629171 DOI: 10.2174/0115701638253929230922115127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Drug repurposing, also referred to as drug repositioning or drug reprofiling, is a scientific approach to the detection of any new application for an already approved or investigational drug. It is a useful policy for the invention and development of new pharmacological or therapeutic applications of different drugs. The strategy has been known to offer numerous advantages over developing a completely novel drug for certain problems. Drug repurposing has numerous methodologies that can be categorized as target-oriented, drug-oriented, and problem-oriented. The choice of the methodology of drug repurposing relies on the accessible information about the drug molecule and like pharmacokinetic, pharmacological, physicochemical, and toxicological profile of the drug. In addition, molecular docking studies and other computer-aided methods have been known to show application in drug repurposing. The variation in dosage for original target diseases and novel diseases presents a challenge for researchers of drug repurposing in present times. The present review critically discusses the drugs repurposed for cancer, covid-19, Alzheimer's, and other diseases, strategies, and challenges of drug repurposing. Moreover, regulatory perspectives related to different countries like the United States (US), Europe, and India have been delineated in the present review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Rohilla
- Department of Pharmacology, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, 140413, Mohali, India
| | - Seema Rohilla
- Department of Pharmacy, Panipat Institute of Engineering and Technology, Panipat, Haryana, India
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Greco A, Coperchini F, Croce L, Magri F, Teliti M, Rotondi M. Drug repositioning in thyroid cancer treatment: the intriguing case of anti-diabetic drugs. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1303844. [PMID: 38146457 PMCID: PMC10749369 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1303844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer represents the main cause of death worldwide. Thyroid cancer (TC) shows an overall good rate of survival, however there is a percentage of patients that do not respond or are refractory to common therapies. Thus new therapeutics strategies are required. In the past decade, drug repositioning become very important in the field of cancer therapy. This approach shows several advantages including the saving of: i) time, ii) costs, iii) de novo studies regarding the safety (just characterized) of a drug. Regarding TC, few studies considered the potential repositioning of drugs. On the other hand, certain anti-diabetic drugs, were the focus of interesting studies on TC therapy, in view of the fact that they exhibited potential anti-tumor effects. Among these anti-diabetic compounds, not all were judjed as appropriate for repositioning, in view of well documented side effects. However, just to give few examples biguanides, DPP-4-inhibitors and Thiazolidinediones were found to exert strong anti-cancer effects in TC. Indeed, their effects spaced from induction of citotoxicity and inhibition of metastatic spread, to induction of de-differentiation of TC cells and modulation of TC microenvironment. Thus, the multifacial anti-cancer effect of these compounds would make the basis also for combinatory strategies. The present review is aimed at discuss data from studies regarding the anti-cancer effects of several anti-diabetic drugs recently showed in TC in view of their potential repositioning. Specific examples of anti-diabetic repositionable drugs for TC treatment will also be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Greco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Coperchini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Croce
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Flavia Magri
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marsida Teliti
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mario Rotondi
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Laboratory for Endocrine Disruptors, Unit of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
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4
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Choi MS, Lee CY, Kim JH, Lee YM, Lee S, Kim HJ, Heo K. Gramicidin, a Bactericidal Antibiotic, Is an Antiproliferative Agent for Ovarian Cancer Cells. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:2059. [PMID: 38138162 PMCID: PMC10744341 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59122059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Gramicidin, a bactericidal antibiotic used in dermatology and ophthalmology, has recently garnered attention for its inhibitory actions against cancer cell growth. However, the effects of gramicidin on ovarian cancer cells and the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. We aimed to elucidate the anticancer efficacy of gramicidin against ovarian cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The anticancer effect of gramicidin was investigated through an in vitro experiment. We analyzed cell proliferation, DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells using WST-1 assay, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick and labeling (TUNEL), DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry and western blot. Results: Gramicidin treatment induces dose- and time-dependent decreases in OVCAR8, SKOV3, and A2780 ovarian cancer cell proliferation. TUNEL assay and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis showed that gramicidin caused DNA fragmentation in ovarian cancer cells. Flow cytometry demonstrated that gramicidin induced cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we confirmed via Western blot that gramicidin triggered apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions: Our results strongly suggest that gramicidin exerts its inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth by triggering apoptosis. Conclusively, this study provides new insights into the previously unexplored anticancer properties of gramicidin against ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Sung Choi
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (M.S.C.); (Y.M.L.); (S.L.)
| | - Chae Yeon Lee
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (C.Y.L.); (J.H.K.)
| | - Ji Hyeon Kim
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (C.Y.L.); (J.H.K.)
| | - Yul Min Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (M.S.C.); (Y.M.L.); (S.L.)
| | - Sukmook Lee
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (M.S.C.); (Y.M.L.); (S.L.)
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (C.Y.L.); (J.H.K.)
- Antibody Research Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Kim
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (M.S.C.); (Y.M.L.); (S.L.)
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (C.Y.L.); (J.H.K.)
- Antibody Research Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyun Heo
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (M.S.C.); (Y.M.L.); (S.L.)
- Biopharmaceutical Chemistry Major, School of Applied Chemistry, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea; (C.Y.L.); (J.H.K.)
- Antibody Research Institute, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Republic of Korea
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Tamura R. Drug Repositioning for Refractory Benign Tumors of the Central Nervous System. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12997. [PMID: 37629179 PMCID: PMC10455557 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug repositioning (DR) is the process of identifying novel therapeutic potentials for already-approved drugs and discovering new therapies for untreated diseases. DR can play an important role in optimizing the pre-clinical process of developing novel drugs by saving time and cost compared with the process of de novo drug discovery. Although the number of publications related to DR has rapidly increased, most therapeutic approaches were reported for malignant tumors. Surgical resection represents the definitive treatment for benign tumors of the central nervous system (BTCNS). However, treatment options remain limited for surgery-, chemotherapy- and radiation-refractory BTCNS, as well as malignant tumors. Meningioma, pituitary neuroendocrine tumor (PitNET), and schwannoma are the most common BTCNS. The treatment strategy using DR may be applied for refractory BTCNS, such as Grade 2 meningiomas, neurofibromatosis type 2-related schwannomatosis, and PitNETs with cavernous sinus invasion. In the setting of BTCNS, stable disease can provide significant benefit to the patient. DR may provide a longer duration of survival without disease progression for patients with refractory BTCNS. This article reviews the utility of DR for refractory BTCNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Tamura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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Menchikov LG, Popov AV. Physiological Activity of Trace Element Germanium including Anticancer Properties. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1535. [PMID: 37371629 PMCID: PMC10295216 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Germanium is an essential microelement, and its deficiency can result in numerous diseases, particularly oncogenic conditions. Consequently, water-soluble germanium compounds, including inorganic and coordination compounds, have attracted significant attention due to their biological activity. The review analyzes the primary research from the last decade related to the anticancer activity of germanium compounds. Furthermore, the review clarifies their actual toxicity, identifies errors and misconceptions that have contributed to the discrediting of their biological activity, and briefly suggests a putative mechanism of germanium-mediated protection from oxidative stress. Finally, the review provides clarifications on the discovery history of water-soluble organic germanium compounds, which was distorted and suppressed for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid G. Menchikov
- N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prosp. 47, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Anatoliy V. Popov
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, 3620 Hamilton Walk, Anatomy Chemistry Building, Rm 317, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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7
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Albuquerque PC, Zicker F, Fonseca BP. Advancing drug repurposing research: Trends, collaborative networks, innovation and knowledge leaders. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103396. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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8
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Ochi K, Suzawa K, Thu YM, Takatsu F, Tsudaka S, Zhu Y, Nakata K, Takeda T, Shien K, Yamamoto H, Okazaki M, Sugimoto S, Shien T, Okamoto Y, Tomida S, Toyooka S. Drug repositioning of tranilast to sensitize a cancer therapy by targeting cancer‐associated fibroblast. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:3428-3436. [PMID: 35871750 PMCID: PMC9530873 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment that mediate resistance of cancer cells to anticancer drugs. Tranilast is an antiallergic drug that suppresses the release of cytokines from various inflammatory cells. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of tranilast on the interactions between non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and the CAFs in the tumor microenvironment. Three EGFR‐mutant NSCLC cell lines, two KRAS‐mutant cell lines, and three CAFs derived from NSCLC patients were used. To mimic the tumor microenvironment, the NSCLC cells were cocultured with the CAFs in vitro, and the molecular profiles and sensitivity to molecular targeted therapy were assessed. Crosstalk between NSCLC cells and CAFs induced multiple biological effects on the NSCLC cells both in vivo and in vitro, including activation of the STAT3 signaling pathway, promotion of xenograft tumor growth, induction of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), and acquisition of resistance to molecular‐targeted therapy, including EGFR‐mutant NSCLC cells to osimertinib and of KRAS‐mutant NSCLC cells to selumetinib. Treatment with tranilast led to inhibition of IL‐6 secretion from the CAFs, which, in turn, resulted in inhibition of CAF‐induced phospho‐STAT3 upregulation. Tranilast also inhibited CAF‐induced EMT in the NSCLC cells. Finally, combined administration of tranilast with molecular‐targeted therapy reversed the CAF‐mediated resistance of the NSCLC cells to the molecular‐targeted drugs, both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that combined administration of tranilast with molecular‐targeted therapy is a possible new treatment strategy to overcome drug resistance caused by cancer‐CAF interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Ochi
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Joint School of Veterinary Medicine Tottori University Tottori Japan
| | - Ken Suzawa
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Yin Min Thu
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Fumiaki Takatsu
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Shimpei Tsudaka
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Yidan Zhu
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
- Shenyang Children's Hospital Shenyang China
| | - Kentaro Nakata
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Tatsuaki Takeda
- Departments of Pharmacy Okayama University Hospital Okayama Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Shien
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Hiromasa Yamamoto
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Mikio Okazaki
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Seiichiro Sugimoto
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Tadahiko Shien
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Okamoto
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Joint School of Veterinary Medicine Tottori University Tottori Japan
| | - Shuta Tomida
- Center for Comprehensive Genomic Medicine Okayama University Hospital Okayama Japan
| | - Shinichi Toyooka
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery and Breast and Endocrinological Surgery Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Okayama Japan
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Masuda T, Mimori K. Artificial intelligence-assisted drug repurposing via "chemical-induced gene expression ranking". PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 3:100470. [PMID: 35465226 PMCID: PMC9023885 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Drug repurposing using artificial intelligence algorithms is a powerful technique that leverages existing datasets to find new medical applications for approved drugs. Pham et al. developed CIGER, a deep learning framework to overcome unreliable data in the datasets and present repositioned drugs against pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
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Singhal S, Maheshwari P, Krishnamurthy PT, Patil VM. Drug Repurposing Strategies for Non-Cancer to Cancer Therapeutics. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2022; 22:2726-2756. [PMID: 35301945 DOI: 10.2174/1871520622666220317140557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Global efforts invested for the prevention and treatment of cancer need to be repositioned to develop safe, effective, and economic anticancer therapeutics by adopting rational approaches of drug discovery. Drug repurposing is one of the established approaches to reposition old, clinically approved off patent noncancer drugs with known targets into newer indications. The literature review suggests key role of drug repurposing in the development of drugs intended for cancer as well as noncancer therapeutics. A wide category of noncancer drugs namely, drugs acting on CNS, anthelmintics, cardiovascular drugs, antimalarial drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs have come out with interesting outcomes during preclinical and clinical phases. In the present article a comprehensive overview of the current scenario of drug repurposing for the treatment of cancer has been focused. The details of some successful studies along with examples have been included followed by associated challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipra Singhal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry KIET School of Pharmacy, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad, India
| | - Priyal Maheshwari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry KIET School of Pharmacy, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad, India
| | | | - Vaishali M Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry KIET School of Pharmacy, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad, India
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Response Predictive Markers and Synergistic Agents for Drug Repositioning of Statins in Ovarian Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020124. [PMID: 35215239 PMCID: PMC8880614 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the field of drug repurposing, the use of statins for treating dyslipidemia is considered promising in ovarian cancer treatment based on epidemiological studies and basic research findings. Biomarkers should be established to identify patients who will respond to statin treatment to achieve clinical application. In the present study, we demonstrated that statins have a multifaceted mode of action in ovarian cancer and involve pathways other than protein prenylation. To identify biomarkers that predict the response to statins, we subjected ovarian cancer cells to microarray analysis and calculated Pearson’s correlation coefficients between gene expression and cell survival after statin treatment. The results showed that VDAC1 and LDLRAP1 were positively and negatively correlated with the response to statins, respectively. Histoculture drug response assays revealed that statins were effective in clinical samples. We also confirmed the synergistic effects of statins with paclitaxel and panobinostat and determined that statins are hematologically safe to administer to statin-treated mice. Future clinical trials based on the expression of the biomarkers identified in this study for repurposing statins for ovarian cancer treatment are warranted.
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Prieto Santamaría L, Ugarte Carro E, Díaz Uzquiano M, Menasalvas Ruiz E, Pérez Gallardo Y, Rodríguez-González A. A data-driven methodology towards evaluating the potential of drug repurposing hypotheses. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:4559-4573. [PMID: 34471499 PMCID: PMC8387760 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug repurposing has become a widely used strategy to accelerate the process of finding treatments. While classical de novo drug development involves high costs, risks, and time-consuming paths, drug repurposing allows to reuse already-existing and approved drugs for new indications. Numerous research has been carried out in this field, both in vitro and in silico. Computational drug repurposing methods make use of modern heterogeneous biomedical data to identify and prioritize new indications for old drugs. In the current paper, we present a new complete methodology to evaluate new potentially repurposable drugs based on disease-gene and disease-phenotype associations, identifying significant differences between repurposing and non-repurposing data. We have collected a set of known successful drug repurposing case studies from the literature and we have analysed their dissimilarities with other biomedical data not necessarily participating in repurposing processes. The information used has been obtained from the DISNET platform. We have performed three analyses (at the genetical, phenotypical, and categorization levels), to conclude that there is a statistically significant difference between actual repurposing-related information and non-repurposing data. The insights obtained could be relevant when suggesting new potential drug repurposing hypotheses.
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Key Words
- ACE, Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme
- AHR, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor
- ALK, Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
- API, Application Programming Interface
- CMap, Connectivity Map
- COX-2, Cyclooxygenase 2
- CUI, Concept Unique Identifier
- DISNET knowledge base
- DR, Drug Repurposing or Drug Repositioning
- DRD3, Dopamine Receptor D3
- Data integration
- Disease understanding
- Drug repositioning
- Drug repurposing
- Drug-disease validation
- ESR1, Estrogen Receptor 1
- ESR2, Estrogen Receptor 2
- FCGR2A, Fc Fragment Of IgG Receptor IIa
- FCGR3A, Fc Fragment Of IgG Receptor IIIa
- FCGR3B, Fc Fragment Of IgG Receptor IIIb
- GDA, Gene Disease Association
- ICD-10-CM, International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, Clinical Modification
- ID, Identifier
- KDR, Kinase insert Domain Receptor
- LTα, Lymphotoxin alpha
- MeSH-PA, Medical Subject Headings – Pharmacological Action
- ND, New Disease
- NLM, National Library of Medicine
- OD, Original Disease
- PTGS2, Prostaglandin-endoperoxidase synthase 2
- SM, Supplementary Material
- SRD5A1, Steroid 5 Alpha-Reductase 1
- SRD5A2, Steroid 5 Alpha-Reductase 2
- TNFα, Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha
- UMLS, Unified Medical Language System
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Prieto Santamaría
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.,ETS Ingenieros Informáticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.,Ezeris Networks Global Services S.L., 28028 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Ugarte Carro
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Díaz Uzquiano
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ernestina Menasalvas Ruiz
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.,ETS Ingenieros Informáticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Rodríguez-González
- Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain.,ETS Ingenieros Informáticos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28660 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Alandağ C, Merev E, Özdemir F. Repurposing calcium channel blockers: may be sensible combination with erlotinib for non-small cell lung cancer. Anticancer Drugs 2021; 32:882-885. [PMID: 34145175 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor. It is being used for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC). Repurposing noncancer drugs for cancer treatment is a current issue and it has many advantages. We planned to reveal the effects of noncancer drugs [calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and others] on erlotinib. We scanned the files of NSCLC patients retrospectively who were applied to Karadeniz Technical University between January 2013 and April 2019 and used erlotinib. There were 63 patients, 9 of them were taking CCB simultaneously for arterial hypertension. We analyzed some parameters of these patients and their effects on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). A χ2 or Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier and Cox regressions were used in the statistical analysis. 12-month OS rates of CCB user and nonuser were 78.3 and 39.7%, respectively, [odds ratio (OR),0.14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.27-0.75; P = 0.023]. 24-month PFS rates of CCB user and nonuser were 44.4 and 8.3%, respectively (OR,0.11; 95% CI, 0.02-0.60; P = 0.016). There was 12-month OS and 24-month PFS advantage with simultaneously taking CCBs and erlotinib, they have an additive effect for NSCLC. This study will be inspiring future prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celal Alandağ
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sivas Numune Hospital, Sivas
| | - Elif Merev
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sivas Numune Hospital, Sivas
| | - Feyyaz Özdemir
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sivas Numune Hospital, Sivas
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14
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Kachi K, Kato H, Naiki-Ito A, Komura M, Nagano-Matsuo A, Naitoh I, Hayashi K, Kataoka H, Inaguma S, Takahashi S. Anti-Allergic Drug Suppressed Pancreatic Carcinogenesis via Down-Regulation of Cellular Proliferation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147444. [PMID: 34299067 PMCID: PMC8304964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a fatal disease, and thus its chemoprevention is an important issue. Based on the recent report that patients with allergic diseases have a low risk for pancreatic cancer, we examined the potential chemopreventive effect of anti-allergic agents using a hamster pancreatic carcinogenesis model. Among the three anti-allergic drugs administered, montelukast showed a tendency to suppress the incidence of pancreatic cancer. Further animal study revealed a significantly decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer in the high-dose montelukast group compared with controls. The development of the pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions was also significantly suppressed. The Ki-67 labeling index was significantly lower in pancreatic carcinomas in the high-dose montelukast group than in controls. In vitro experiments revealed that montelukast suppressed proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner with decreased expression of phospho-ERK1/2. Montelukast induced G1 phase arrest. Conversely, leukotriene D4 (LTD4), an agonist of CYSLTR1, increased cellular proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells with an accumulation of phospho-ERK1/2. In our cohort, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients with high CYSLTR1 expression showed a significantly unfavorable clinical outcome compared with those with low expression. Our results indicate that montelukast exerts a chemopreventive effect on pancreatic cancer via the LTD4–CYSLTR1 axis and has potential for treatment of pancreatic carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Kachi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (K.K.); (I.N.); (K.H.); (H.K.)
| | - Hiroyuki Kato
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
| | - Aya Naiki-Ito
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
| | - Masayuki Komura
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
| | - Aya Nagano-Matsuo
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
| | - Itaru Naitoh
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (K.K.); (I.N.); (K.H.); (H.K.)
| | - Kazuki Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (K.K.); (I.N.); (K.H.); (H.K.)
| | - Hiromi Kataoka
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (K.K.); (I.N.); (K.H.); (H.K.)
| | - Shingo Inaguma
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
- Department of Pathology, Nagoya City University East Medical Center, Nagoya 464-8547, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.I.); (S.T.)
| | - Satoru Takahashi
- Department of Experimental Pathology and Tumor Biology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (H.K.); (A.N.-I.); (M.K.); (A.N.-M.)
- Correspondence: (S.I.); (S.T.)
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15
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Verbaanderd C, Rooman I, Huys I. Exploring new uses for existing drugs: innovative mechanisms to fund independent clinical research. Trials 2021; 22:322. [PMID: 33947441 PMCID: PMC8093905 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05273-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Finding new therapeutic uses for existing medicines could lead to safe, affordable and timely new treatment options for patients with high medical needs. However, due to a lack of economic incentives, pharmaceutical developers are rarely interested to invest in research with approved medicines, especially when they are out of basic patent or regulatory protection. Consequently, potential new uses for these medicines are mainly studied in independent clinical trials initiated and led by researchers from academia, research institutes, or collaborative groups. Yet, additional financial support is needed to conduct expensive phase III clinical trials to confirm the results from exploratory research. METHODS In this study, scientific and grey literature was searched to identify and evaluate new mechanisms for funding clinical trials with repurposed medicines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 European stakeholders with expertise in clinical research, funding mechanisms and/or drug repurposing between November 2018 and February 2019 to consider the future perspectives of applying new funding mechanisms. RESULTS Traditional grant funding awarded by government and philanthropic organisations or companies is well known and widely implemented in all research fields. In contrast, only little research has focused on the application potential of newer mechanisms to fund independent clinical research, such as social impact bonds, crowdfunding or public-private partnerships. Interviewees stated that there is a substantial need for additional financial support in health research, especially in areas where there is limited commercial interest. However, the implementation of new funding mechanisms is facing several practical and financial challenges, such as a lack of expertise and guidelines, high transaction costs and difficulties to measure health outcomes. Furthermore, interviewees highlighted the need for increased collaboration and centralisation at a European and international level to make clinical research more efficient and reduce the need for additional funding. CONCLUSIONS New funding mechanisms to support clinical research may become more important in the future but the unresolved issues identified in the current study warrant further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciska Verbaanderd
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Anticancer Fund, Strombeek-Bever, Belgium.
| | - Ilse Rooman
- Anticancer Fund, Strombeek-Bever, Belgium
- Oncology Research Centre, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Huys
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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16
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Postoperative elevation in the plasma CCL2 level is a predictive biomarker of colorectal cancer recurrence. Surg Today 2021; 51:1671-1681. [PMID: 33797637 DOI: 10.1007/s00595-021-02273-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE There is currently no adequate biomarker for predicting colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) induces macrophages and fibroblasts to occupy metastatic niches in distant organs. The purpose of this study was to examine CCL2 as a potential predictive biomarker for CRC recurrence. METHODS Plasma samples (n = 402) were collected from 80 stage II/III/IV CRC cases and the relationship between CCL2 profiles and recurrence was investigated. The tumor immune response genes associated with CCL2 mRNA expression in a subgroup of 8 stage I/II CRC cases with 12 recurrent sites and The Cancer Genome Atlas database were also analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS Sixteen stage II/III/IV postoperative recurrent CRC cases experienced a significant increase in plasma CCL2 levels 6 months after surgery and continuously increased even after R0-1 resection. The 6-month postoperative CCL2 levels in recurrent cases of ≥ 1 year were significantly higher than in non-recurrent cases and recurrent cases of < 1 year. The CCL2 level in the primary tumor cases significantly correlated with the cytolytic activity, thus indicating a tumor immune response from the CD163-expressing macrophages. CONCLUSION Plasma CCL2 was found to be a predictive biomarker of postoperative CRC recurrence. CCL2 in metastatic sites derives from metastatic niches that surpass the host immune response.
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Fujii A, Masuda T, Iwata M, Tobo T, Wakiyama H, Koike K, Kosai K, Nakano T, Kuramitsu S, Kitagawa A, Sato K, Kouyama Y, Shimizu D, Matsumoto Y, Utsunomiya T, Ohtsuka T, Yamanishi Y, Nakamura M, Mimori K. The novel driver gene ASAP2 is a potential druggable target in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:1655-1668. [PMID: 33605496 PMCID: PMC8019229 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting mutated oncogenes is an effective approach for treating cancer. The 4 main driver genes of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4, collectively called the "big 4" of PDAC, however they remain challenging therapeutic targets. In this study, ArfGAP with SH3 domain, ankyrin repeat and PH domain 2 (ASAP2), one of the ArfGAP family, was identified as a novel driver gene in PDAC. Clinical analysis with PDAC datasets showed that ASAP2 was overexpressed in PDAC cells based on increased DNA copy numbers, and high ASAP2 expression contributed to a poor prognosis in PDAC. The biological roles of ASAP2 were investigated using ASAP2-knockout PDAC cells generated with CRISPR-Cas9 technology or transfected PDAC cells. In vitro and in vivo analyses showed that ASAP2 promoted tumor growth by facilitating cell cycle progression through phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). A repositioned drug targeting the ASAP2 pathway was identified using a bioinformatics approach. The gene perturbation correlation method showed that niclosamide, an antiparasitic drug, suppressed PDAC growth by inhibition of ASAP2 expression. These data show that ASAP2 is a novel druggable driver gene that activates the EGFR signaling pathway. Furthermore, niclosamide was identified as a repositioned therapeutic agent for PDAC possibly targeting ASAP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Fujii
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
- Department of Surgery and OncologyGraduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Takaaki Masuda
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | - Michio Iwata
- Department of Bioscience and BioinformaticsFaculty of Computer Science and Systems EngineeringKyushu Institute of TechnologyFukuokaJapan
| | - Taro Tobo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory MedicineKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | | | - Kensuke Koike
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | - Keisuke Kosai
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | - Takafumi Nakano
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | | | | | - Kuniaki Sato
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | - Yuta Kouyama
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | - Dai Shimizu
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
| | | | | | - Takao Ohtsuka
- Department of Digestive Surgery, Breast and Thyroid SurgeryKagoshima UniversityKagoshimaJapan
| | - Yoshihiro Yamanishi
- Department of Bioscience and BioinformaticsFaculty of Computer Science and Systems EngineeringKyushu Institute of TechnologyFukuokaJapan
| | - Masafumi Nakamura
- Department of Surgery and OncologyGraduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of SurgeryKyushu University Beppu HospitalOitaJapan
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18
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Zafar E, Maqbool MF, Iqbal A, Maryam A, Shakir HA, Irfan M, Khan M, Li Y, Ma T. A comprehensive review on anticancer mechanism of bazedoxifene. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2021; 69:767-782. [PMID: 33759222 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is counted as a second leading cause of death among nontransmissible diseases. Identification of novel anticancer drugs is therefore necessary for the effective treatment of cancer. Conventional drug discovery is time consuming and expensive process. Unlike conventional drug discovery, drug repositioning offers a novel strategy for urgent drug discovery since it is a cost-effective and faster process. Bazedoxifene (BZA) is a synthetic selective estrogen receptor modulator, approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. BZA is now being studied for its anticancer activity in various cancers including breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer, head and neck cancer, medulloblastoma, brain cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer. Studies have reported that BZA is effective in reducing cancer progression through multiple mechanisms. BZA could effectively inhibit STAT3, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK signaling pathways and induce apoptosis. In addition to its anticancer activity as monotherapy, BZA has been shown to enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy of clinical drugs such as paclitaxel, cisplatin, palbociclib, and oxaliplatin in multiple neoplasms. This review mainly focused on the anticancer activity, cellular targets, and anticancer mechanism of BZA, which may help the further design and conduct of research and repositioning it for oncological clinic trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erum Zafar
- Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Asia Iqbal
- Department of Wild Life and Ecology, University of Veternary and Animal Sciences, Ravi Campus, Patoki, Pakistan
| | - Amara Maryam
- Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Abdullah Shakir
- Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Yongming Li
- School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tonghui Ma
- School of Medicine and Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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19
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Dinić J, Efferth T, García-Sosa AT, Grahovac J, Padrón JM, Pajeva I, Rizzolio F, Saponara S, Spengler G, Tsakovska I. Repurposing old drugs to fight multidrug resistant cancers. Drug Resist Updat 2020; 52:100713. [PMID: 32615525 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2020.100713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Overcoming multidrug resistance represents a major challenge for cancer treatment. In the search for new chemotherapeutics to treat malignant diseases, drug repurposing gained a tremendous interest during the past years. Repositioning candidates have often emerged through several stages of clinical drug development, and may even be marketed, thus attracting the attention and interest of pharmaceutical companies as well as regulatory agencies. Typically, drug repositioning has been serendipitous, using undesired side effects of small molecule drugs to exploit new disease indications. As bioinformatics gain increasing popularity as an integral component of drug discovery, more rational approaches are needed. Herein, we show some practical examples of in silico approaches such as pharmacophore modelling, as well as pharmacophore- and docking-based virtual screening for a fast and cost-effective repurposing of small molecule drugs against multidrug resistant cancers. We provide a timely and comprehensive overview of compounds with considerable potential to be repositioned for cancer therapeutics. These drugs are from diverse chemotherapeutic classes. We emphasize the scope and limitations of anthelmintics, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, antihypertensives, psychopharmaceuticals and antidiabetics that have shown extensive immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, and antimetastatic potential. These drugs, either used alone or in combination with existing anticancer chemotherapeutics, represent strong candidates to prevent or overcome drug resistance. We particularly focus on outcomes and future perspectives of drug repositioning for the treatment of multidrug resistant tumors and discuss current possibilities and limitations of preclinical and clinical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Dinić
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" - National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Staudinger Weg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Jelena Grahovac
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - José M Padrón
- BioLab, Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González (IUBO AG), Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, E-38071 La Laguna, Spain.
| | - Ilza Pajeva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, 301724 Venezia-Mestre, Italy; Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, 33081 Aviano, Italy
| | - Simona Saponara
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Gabriella Spengler
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged, Dóm tér 10, Hungary
| | - Ivanka Tsakovska
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 105, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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20
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Ji X, Jin C, Dong X, Dixon MS, Williams KP, Zheng W. Literature-Wide Association Studies (LWAS) for a Rare Disease: Drug Repurposing for Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25173933. [PMID: 32872166 PMCID: PMC7504746 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug repurposing is an effective means for rapid drug discovery. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a computational methodology based on Literature-Wide Association Studies (LWAS) of PubMed to repurpose existing drugs for a rare inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). We have developed a methodology that conducted LWAS based on the text mining technology Word2Vec. 3.80 million "cancer"-related PubMed abstracts were processed as the corpus for Word2Vec to derive vector representation of biological concepts. These vectors for drugs and diseases served as the foundation for creating similarity maps of drugs and diseases, respectively, which were then employed to find potential therapy for IBC. Three hundred and thirty-six (336) known drugs and three hundred and seventy (370) diseases were expressed as vectors in this study. Nine hundred and seventy (970) previously known drug-disease association pairs among these drugs and diseases were used as the reference set. Based on the hypothesis that similar drugs can be used against similar diseases, we have identified 18 diseases similar to IBC, with 24 corresponding known drugs proposed to be the repurposing therapy for IBC. The literature search confirmed most known drugs tested for IBC, with four of them being novel candidates. We conclude that LWAS based on the Word2Vec technology is a novel approach to drug repurposing especially useful for rare diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kevin P. Williams
- Correspondence: (K.P.W.); (W.Z.); Tel.: +1-(919)-530-7726 (K.P.W.); +1-(919)-530-6752 (W.Z.)
| | - Weifan Zheng
- Correspondence: (K.P.W.); (W.Z.); Tel.: +1-(919)-530-7726 (K.P.W.); +1-(919)-530-6752 (W.Z.)
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21
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Masuda T, Tsuruda Y, Matsumoto Y, Uchida H, Nakayama KI, Mimori K. Drug repositioning in cancer: The current situation in Japan. Cancer Sci 2020; 111:1039-1046. [PMID: 31957175 PMCID: PMC7156828 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the incidence continues to increase. Despite major research aimed at discovering and developing novel and effective anticancer drugs, oncology drug development is a lengthy and costly process, with high attrition rates. Drug repositioning (DR, also referred to as drug repurposing), the process of finding new uses for approved noncancer drugs, has been gaining popularity in the past decade. DR has become a powerful alternative strategy for discovering and developing novel anticancer drug candidates from the existing approved drug space. Indeed, the availability of several large established libraries of clinical drugs and rapid advances in disease biology, genomics/transcriptomics/proteomics and bioinformatics has accelerated the pace of activity‐based, literature‐based and in silico DR, thereby improving safety and reducing costs. However, DR still faces financial obstacles in clinical trials, which could limit its practical use in the clinic. Here, we provide a brief review of DR in cancer and discuss difficulties in the development of DR for clinical use. Furthermore, we introduce some promising DR candidates for anticancer therapy in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takaaki Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
| | - Yusuke Tsuruda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
| | | | - Hiroki Uchida
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
| | - Keiichi I Nakayama
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, Japan
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