Drug Repurposing in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: Old Solutions for New Problems

Abstract

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2022. The majority (80%) of lung cancer cases belong to the non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) subtype. Despite the increased screening efforts, the median five-year survival of metastatic NSCLC remains low at approximately 3%. Common treatment approaches for NSCLC include surgery, multimodal chemotherapy, and concurrent radio and chemotherapy. NSCLC exhibits high rates of resistance to treatment, driven by its heterogeneity and the plasticity of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Drug repurposing offers a faster and cheaper way to develop new antineoplastic purposes for existing drugs, to help overcome therapy resistance. The decrease in time and funds needed stems from the availability of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs to be repurposed. This review provides a synopsis of the drug-repurposing approaches and mechanisms of action of potential candidate drugs used in treating NSCLC, including but not limited to antihypertensives, anti-hyperlipidemics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-diabetics, and anti-microbials.

Mitoxantrone and abacavir: An ALK protein-targeted in silico proposal for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

“…Finally, in the literature review conducted by Doumat and co-workers in 2023, they present a section called “Anti-Retroviral Drugs” where they propose different anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV approved for NSCLC repositioning, examples such as lopinavir, ritonavir, efavirenz and nelfinavir are exposed [ 54 ]. In this way, we propose the anti-retroviral abacavir as a potential repositioned drug for different types of cancer including NSCLC.…”

Repurposing Therapeutic Drugs Complexed to Vanadium in Cancer

“…: valproate) drugs are potentially novel options for glioblastoma based on their ability to cross the blood–brain barrier [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. However, there is greater evidence for the repurposing of antidiabetic and antihypertensive drugs [ 16 , 17 ], given their efficacy in chronic metabolic diseases (diabetes and cardiovascular disease), because (1) these diseases are highly prevalent and their treatments well-studied, with an increased amount of knowledge regarding their use and potential benefit; (2) there are metabolic links and shared risk factors between these diseases and cancer; and (3) drugs that can be administered chronically are normally well-tolerated [ 18 ].…”

The DC–T cell axis is an effective target for the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer

“…Lung cancer is a prominent cause of death related to cancer across the globe 1–4 . The projected rise in its incidence and mortality rates in the upcoming years presents an ongoing public health risk 5 . From a histopathological perspective, lung cancer has two major classifications: small and non‐small cell lung cancers (SCLC and NSCLC, respectively).…”

“…[1][2][3][4] The projected rise in its incidence and mortality rates in the upcoming years presents an ongoing public health risk. 5 From a histopathological perspective, lung cancer has two major classifications: small and non-small cell lung cancers (SCLC and NSCLC, respectively). The latter accounts for around 85% of all lung cancer cases, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of about 15%.…”