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Kumar U, Aich J, Devarajan S. Exploring the repurposing potential of telmisartan drug in breast cancer: an in-silico and in-vitro approach. Anticancer Drugs 2023; 34:1094-1103. [PMID: 36847075 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Anticancer drug resistance is one of the biggest hurdles in the treatment of breast cancer. Drug repurposing is a viable option fordeveloping novel medical treatment strategies since this method is more cost-efficient and rapid. Antihypertensive medicines have recently been found to have pharmacological features that could be used to treat cancer, making them effective candidates for therapeutic repurposing. The goal of our research is to find a potent antihypertensive drug that can be repurposed as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. In this study, virtual screening was performed using a set of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antihypertensive drugs as ligands with selected receptor proteins (EGFR, KRAS, P53, AGTR1, AGTR2, and ACE) assuming these proteins are regarded to have a significant role in hypertension as well as breast cancer. Further, our in-silico results were further confirmed by an in-vitro experiment (cytotoxicity assay). All the compounds (enalapril, atenolol, acebutolol, propranolol, amlodipine, verapamil, doxazosin, prazosin, hydralazine, irbesartan, telmisartan, candesartan, and aliskiren) showed remarkable affinity towards the target receptor proteins. However, maximum affinity was displayed by telmisartan. Cell-based cytotoxicity study of telmisartan in MCF7 (breast cancer cell line) confirmed the anticancer effect of telmisartan. IC50 of the drug was calculated to be 7.75 µM and at this concentration, remarkable morphological alterations were observed in the MCF7 cells confirming its cytotoxicity in breast cancer cells. Based on both in-silico and in-vitro studies, we can conclude that telmisartan appears to be a promising drug repurposing candidate for the therapeutic treatment of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urwashi Kumar
- School of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, D.Y. Patil Deemed to Be University, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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Patil KS, Hajare AA, Manjappa AS, More HN, Disouza JI. Design, Development, In Silico, and In Vitro Characterization of Camptothecin-Loaded Mixed Micelles: In Vitro Testing of Verapamil and Ranolazine for Repurposing as Coadjuvant Therapy in Cancer. J Pharm Innov 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12247-022-09688-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Carlos-Escalante JA, de Jesús-Sánchez M, Rivas-Castro A, Pichardo-Rojas PS, Arce C, Wegman-Ostrosky T. The Use of Antihypertensive Drugs as Coadjuvant Therapy in Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:660943. [PMID: 34094953 PMCID: PMC8173186 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.660943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex group of diseases that constitute the second largest cause of mortality worldwide. The development of new drugs for treating this disease is a long and costly process, from the discovery of the molecule through testing in phase III clinical trials, a process during which most candidate molecules fail. The use of drugs currently employed for the management of other diseases (drug repurposing) represents an alternative for developing new medical treatments. Repurposing existing drugs is, in principle, cheaper and faster than developing new drugs. Antihypertensive drugs, primarily belonging to the pharmacological categories of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptors, direct aldosterone antagonists, β-blockers and calcium channel blockers, are commonly prescribed and have well-known safety profiles. Additionally, some of these drugs have exhibited pharmacological properties useful for the treatment of cancer, rendering them candidates for drug repurposing. In this review, we examine the preclinical and clinical evidence for utilizing antihypertensive agents in the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Carlos-Escalante
- Plan de Estudios Combinados En Medicina (PECEM) (MD/PhD), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marcela de Jesús-Sánchez
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Orizaba-Córdoba, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Rivas-Castro
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Claudia Arce
- Medical Oncology/Breast Tumors, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Talia Wegman-Ostrosky
- Basic Research Subdirection, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
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Correia AS, Gärtner F, Vale N. Drug combination and repurposing for cancer therapy: the example of breast cancer. Heliyon 2021; 7:e05948. [PMID: 33490692 PMCID: PMC7810770 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a set of extremely complex diseases, which are increasingly prominent today, as it affects and kills millions of people worldwide, being the subject of intense study both in its pathophysiology and therapy. Especially in women, breast cancer is still a cancer with a high incidence and mortality. Even though mortality rates for this type of cancer have declined in recent years, it remains challenging at the treatment level, especially the metastatic type. Due to all the impact on health, cancer therapy is the subject of costly and intense research. To enrich this therapy, as well as decrease its underlying high associated costs, drug repurposing and drug combinations are strategies that have been increasingly studied and addressed. As the name implies, drug repurposing presupposes giving new purposes to agents which, in this case, are approved for the therapy of other diseases (for example, cardiovascular or metabolic diseases), but are not approved for cancer therapy. Therefore, a better knowledge of these therapeutic modalities for breast cancer therapy is crucial for improved therapy. In this particular review, we will discuss some relevant aspects of cancer and, particularly, breast cancer and its therapy. Also, drug combination and repurposing will be highlighted, together with relevant examples. Despite some limitations that need to be overcome, these methodologies are extremely important and advantageous in combating several current problems of cancer therapy, namely in terms of costs and resistance to current therapeutic modalities. These approaches will be explored with a special focus on breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Salomé Correia
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Fátima Gärtner
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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Evaluating the benefits of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors as cancer treatments. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 211:107527. [PMID: 32173557 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of cellular membrane receptors identified and characterized. It is estimated that 30 to 50% of marketed drugs target these receptors. The angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) is a GPCR which signals in response to systemic alterations of the peptide hormone angiotensin II (AngII) in circulation. The enzyme responsible for converting AngI to AngII is the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Specific inhibitors for the AT1R (more commonly known as AT1R blockers or antagonists) and ACE are well characterized for their effects on the cardiovascular system. Combined with the extensive clinical data available on patient tolerance of AT1R blockers (ARBs) and ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), as well as their non-classical roles in cancer, the notion of repurposing this class of medications as cancer treatment(s) is explored in the current review. Given that AngII-dependent AT1R activity directly regulates angiogenesis, remodeling of vasculature, pro-inflammatory responses, stem cell programming and hematopoiesis, and electrolyte balance; the modulation of these processes with pharmacologically well characterized medications could present a valuable complementary treatment option for cancer patients.
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Thilakasiri PS, Dmello RS, Nero TL, Parker MW, Ernst M, Chand AL. Repurposing of drugs as STAT3 inhibitors for cancer therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 68:31-46. [PMID: 31711994 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is a valuable approach in delivering new cancer therapeutics rapidly into the clinic. Existing safety and patient tolerability data for drugs already in clinical use represent an untapped resource in terms of identifying therapeutic agents for off-label protein targets. The multicellular effects of STAT3 mediated by a range of various upstream signaling pathways make it an attractive therapeutic target with utility in a range of diseases including cancer, and has led to the development of a variety of STAT3 inhibitors. Moreover, heightened STAT3 transcriptional activation in tumor cells and within the cells of the tumor microenvironment contribute to disease progression. Consequently, there are many STAT3 inhibitors in preclinical development or under evaluation in clinical trials for their therapeutic efficacy predominantly in inflammatory diseases and cancer. Despite these advances, many challenges remain in ultimately providing STAT3 inhibitors to patients as cancer treatments, highlighting the need not only for a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with STAT3 activation, but also how various pharmaceutical agents suppress STAT3 activity in various cancers. In this review we discuss the importance of STAT3-dependent functions in cancer, review the status of compounds designed as direct-acting STAT3 inhibitors, and describe some of the strategies for repurposing of drugs as STAT3 inhibitors for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pathum S Thilakasiri
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Rhynelle S Dmello
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Tracy L Nero
- ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- ACRF Rational Drug Discovery Centre, St Vincent's Institute, Melbourne, Vic., Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Matthias Ernst
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia
| | - Ashwini L Chand
- Cancer and Inflammation Program, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, Vic., Australia.
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