Old wine in new bottles: Drug repurposing in oncology

Ivermectin: An Anthelmintic, an Insecticide, and Much More

“…To overcome the cancer therapeutic bottleneck, repurposing of a number of drugs, including anthelmintics, has been suggested [74]. Juarez et al [75] and Antoszczak et al [76] have reviewed the anticancer effects of ivermectin at high concentrations (0.1-100 μM or doses of 3-40 mg/kg) in tissue culture and in mice. The modes of action of ivermectin on different types of cancer are proposed to involve different mechanisms: (i) the multidrug-resistance transporter protein [77]; (ii) Akt/mTOR [78] and WNT-TCF pathways [79]; (iii) purinergic receptors [80]; (iv) PAK-1 [81]; (v) the cancer-related epigenetic deregulators SIN3A and SIN3B, RNA helicase; (vi) effects on mammalian tubulin polymerization and depolymerization dynamics [82]; and (vii) preferential targeting of cancer stem-cell-like populations [83].…”

Molecules from nature: Reconciling biodiversity conservation and global healthcare imperatives for sustainable use of medicinal plants and fungi

“…Drug repurposing is one approach, where drugs licensed for one therapeutic application are evaluated for their potential usefulness for others; for example, aspirin, originally based on salicylates from willow bark ( Salix spp.) (Oketch‐Rabah, Marles, Jordan, & Low Dog, 2019) is an analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐pyretic, and anti‐platelet drug, but it is now of interest for use in cancer therapeutics (Antoszczak, Markowska, Markowska, & Huczyński, 2020).…”

Ivermectin, a potential anticancer drug derived from an antiparasitic drug

“…treatment [ [23] , [24] , [25] , [26] , [27] ]. Despite the large number of related studies, there are still some key issues that have not been resolved.…”