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Abu-Zahra T, Grimm SE, Scholte M, Raymakers AJN, Kesselheim AS, Joore M. How health technology assessment can help to address challenges in drug repurposing: a conceptual framework. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104008. [PMID: 38692506 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104008] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Drug repurposing faces various challenges that can impede its success. We developed a framework outlining key challenges in drug repurposing to explore when and how health technology assessment (HTA) methods can address them. We identified 20 drug-repurposing challenges across the categories of data access, research and development, collaboration, business case, regulatory and legal challenges. Early incorporation of HTA methods, including literature review, empirical research, stakeholder consultation, health economic evaluation and uncertainty assessment, can help to address these challenges. HTA methods canassess the value proposition of repurposed drugs, inform further research and ultimately help to bring cost-effective repurposed drugs to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teebah Abu-Zahra
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment (KEMTA), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Sabine E Grimm
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment (KEMTA), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Mirre Scholte
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment (KEMTA), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Adam J N Raymakers
- Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron S Kesselheim
- Program on Regulation, Therapeutics, and Law, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manuela Joore
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment (KEMTA), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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2
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Shukla H, John D, Banerjee S, Tiwari AK. Drug repurposing for neurodegenerative diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 207:249-319. [PMID: 38942541 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2024.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are neuronal problems that include the brain and spinal cord and result in loss of sensory and motor dysfunction. Common NDDs include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) etc. The occurrence of these diseases increases with age and is one of the challenging problems among elderly people. Though, several scientific research has demonstrated the key pathologies associated with NDDs still the underlying mechanisms and molecular details are not well understood and need to be explored and this poses a lack of effective treatments for NDDs. Several lines of evidence have shown that NDDs have a high prevalence and affect more than a billion individuals globally but still, researchers need to work forward in identifying the best therapeutic target for NDDs. Thus, several researchers are working in the directions to find potential therapeutic targets to alter the disease pathology and treat the diseases. Several steps have been taken to identify the early detection of the disease and drug repurposing for effective treatment of NDDs. Moreover, it is logical that current medications are being evaluated for their efficacy in treating such disorders; therefore, drug repurposing would be an efficient, safe, and cost-effective way in finding out better medication. In the current manuscript we discussed the utilization of drugs that have been repurposed for the treatment of AD, PD, HD, MS, and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halak Shukla
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Diana John
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Shuvomoy Banerjee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
| | - Anand Krishna Tiwari
- Genetics and Developmental Biology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
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3
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Robles-Bañuelos B, Romo-Perez A, Dominguez-Gomez G, Chavez-Blanco A, Gonzalez-Fierro A, Duenas-Gonzalez A. Selection of clinically relevant drug concentrations for in vitro studies of candidates drugs for cancer repurposing: a proposal. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:1077-1088. [PMID: 38064014 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03352-w] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Drug repurposing of widely prescribed patent-off and cheap drugs may provide affordable drugs for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, many preclinical studies of cancer drug repurposing candidates use in vitro drug concentrations too high to have clinical relevance. Hence, preclinical studies must use clinically achievable drug concentrations. In this work, several FDA-approved cancer drugs are analyzed regarding the correlation between the drug inhibitory concentrations 50% (IC50) tested in cancer cell lines and their corresponding peak serum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) reported in clinical studies of these drugs. We found that for most targeted cancer drugs, the AUC and not the Cmax is closest to the IC50; therefore, we suggest that the initial testing of candidate drugs for repurposing could select the AUC pharmacokinetic parameter and not the Cmax as the translated drug concentration for in vitro testing. Nevertheless, this is a suggestion only as experimental evidence does not exist to prove this concept. Studies on this issue are required to advance in cancer drug repurposing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Robles-Bañuelos
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Romo-Perez
- Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Dominguez-Gomez
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alma Chavez-Blanco
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Aurora Gonzalez-Fierro
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Duenas-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
- Subdirección de Investigación Básica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, San Fernando 22, Belisario Domínguez Secc 16, Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Fang ZY, Zhang ZY, Zheng YD, Lei D, Zhuang J, Li N, He QY, Sun X. Repurposing cinacalcet suppresses multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by disruption of cell membrane and inhibits biofilm by targeting IcaR. J Antimicrob Chemother 2024; 79:903-917. [PMID: 38412335 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkae051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MDR Staphylococcus aureus infections, along with the severity of biofilm-associated infections, continue to threaten human health to a great extent. It necessitates the urgent development of novel antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents. OBJECTIVES To reveal the mechanism and target of cinacalcet as an antibacterial and antimicrobial agent for S. aureus. METHODS Screening of non-antibiotic drugs for antibacterial and antibiofilm properties was conducted using a small-molecule drug library. In vivo efficacy was assessed through animal models, and the antibacterial mechanism was studied using quantitative proteomics, biochemical assays, LiP-SMap, BLI detection and gene knockout techniques. RESULTS Cinacalcet, an FDA-approved drug, demonstrated antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against S. aureus, with less observed development of bacterial resistance. Importantly, cinacalcet significantly improved survival in a pneumonia model and bacterial clearance in a biofilm infection model. Moreover, the antibacterial mechanism of cinacalcet mainly involves the destruction of membrane-targeted structures, alteration of energy metabolism, and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cinacalcet was found to target IcaR, inhibiting biofilm formation through the negative regulation of IcaADBC. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that cinacalcet has potential for repurposing as a therapeutic agent for MDR S. aureus infections and associated biofilms, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zu-Ye Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zi-Yuan Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Dan Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Lei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianpeng Zhuang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Yu He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuesong Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, Institute of Life and Health Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Aubin HJ. Repurposing drugs for treatment of alcohol use disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 175:153-185. [PMID: 38555115 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Repurposing drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence involves the use of drugs that were initially developed for other conditions, but have shown promise in reducing alcohol use or preventing relapse. This approach can offer a more cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to developing new drugs from scratch. Currently approved medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD) include acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, nalmefene, baclofen, and sodium oxybate. Acamprosate was developed specifically for AUD, while disulfiram's alcohol-deterrent effects were discovered incidentally. Naltrexone and nalmefene were originally approved for opioids but found secondary applications in AUD. Baclofen and sodium oxybate were repurposed from neurological conditions. Other drugs show promise. Topiramate and zonisamide, anticonvulsants, demonstrate efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption. Another anticonvulsant, gabapentin has been disappointing overall, except in cases involving alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Varenicline, a nicotinic receptor agonist, benefits individuals with less severe AUD or concurrent nicotine use. Ondansetron, a 5-HT3 antagonist, has potential for early-onset AUD, especially when combined with naltrexone. Antipsychotic drugs like aripiprazole and quetiapine have limited efficacy. Further investigation is needed for potential repurposing of α1 adrenergic receptor antagonists prazosin and doxazosin, glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone, the phosphodiesterase inhibitor Ibudilast, the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine, and the OX1R and OX2R blocker Suvorexant. This review supports repurposing drugs as an effective strategy for expanding treatment options for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri-Jean Aubin
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, CESP, Villejuif, France; AP-HP, Université Paris Saclay, Villejuif, France.
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Meng Q, Cai Y, Zhou K, Xu F, Huo D, Xie H, Yu M, Zhang D, Chen X. DAPredict: a database for drug action phenotype prediction. Database (Oxford) 2024; 2024:baad095. [PMID: 38242684 PMCID: PMC10799211 DOI: 10.1093/database/baad095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The phenotypes of drug action, including therapeutic actions and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), are important indicators for evaluating the druggability of new drugs and repositioning the approved drugs. Here, we provide a user-friendly database, DAPredict (http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/DAPredict), in which our novel original drug action phenotypes prediction algorithm (Yang,J., Zhang,D., Liu,L. et al. (2021) Computational drug repositioning based on the relationships between substructure-indication. Brief. Bioinformatics, 22, bbaa348) was embedded. Our algorithm integrates characteristics of chemical genomics and pharmacogenomics, breaking through the limitations that traditional drug development process based on phenotype cannot analyze the mechanism of drug action. Predicting phenotypes of drug action based on the local active structures of drugs and proteins can achieve more innovative drug discovery across drug categories and simultaneously evaluate drug efficacy and safety, rather than traditional one-by-one evaluation. DAPredict contains 305 981 predicted relationships between 1748 approved drugs and 454 ADRs, 83 117 predicted relationships between 1478 approved drugs and 178 Anatomical Therapeutic Chemicals (ATC). More importantly, DAPredict provides an online prediction tool, which researchers can use to predict the action phenotypic spectrum of more than 110 000 000 compounds (including about 168 000 natural products) and corresponding proteins to analyze their potential effect mechanisms. DAPredict can also help researchers obtain the phenotype-corresponding active structures for structural optimization of new drug candidates, making it easier to evaluate the druggability of new drug candidates and develop more innovative drugs across drug categories. Database URL: http://bio-bigdata.hrbmu.edu.cn/DAPredict/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingkang Meng
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Yiyang Cai
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Kun Zhou
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Diwei Huo
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Hongbo Xie
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Meini Yu
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Denan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xiujie Chen
- Department of Pharmacogenomics, College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
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Bitencourt-Ferreira G, Villarreal MA, Quiroga R, Biziukova N, Poroikov V, Tarasova O, de Azevedo Junior WF. Exploring Scoring Function Space: Developing Computational Models for Drug Discovery. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2361-2377. [PMID: 36944627 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230321103731] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The idea of scoring function space established a systems-level approach to address the development of models to predict the affinity of drug molecules by those interested in drug discovery. OBJECTIVE Our goal here is to review the concept of scoring function space and how to explore it to develop machine learning models to address protein-ligand binding affinity. METHODS We searched the articles available in PubMed related to the scoring function space. We also utilized crystallographic structures found in the protein data bank (PDB) to represent the protein space. RESULTS The application of systems-level approaches to address receptor-drug interactions allows us to have a holistic view of the process of drug discovery. The scoring function space adds flexibility to the process since it makes it possible to see drug discovery as a relationship involving mathematical spaces. CONCLUSION The application of the concept of scoring function space has provided us with an integrated view of drug discovery methods. This concept is useful during drug discovery, where we see the process as a computational search of the scoring function space to find an adequate model to predict receptor-drug binding affinity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos A Villarreal
- CONICET-Departamento de Matemática y Física, Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Quiroga
- CONICET-Departamento de Matemática y Física, Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Nadezhda Biziukova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Vladimir Poroikov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Olga Tarasova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Pogodinskaya Str., 10/8, Moscow, 119121, Russia
| | - Walter F de Azevedo Junior
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS, Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil
- Specialization Program in Bioinformatics, The Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av. Ipiranga, 6681 Porto Alegre / RS 90619-900, Brazil
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Sharma D, Gautam S, Srivastava N, Bisht D. In silico Screening of Food and Drug Administration-approved Compounds against Trehalose 2-sulfotransferase (Rv0295c) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Insights from Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulations. Int J Mycobacteriol 2024; 13:73-82. [PMID: 38771283 DOI: 10.4103/ijmy.ijmy_20_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) remains a prominent global health challenge, distinguished by substantial occurrences of infection and death. The upsurge of drug-resistant TB strains underscores the urgency to identify novel therapeutic targets and repurpose existing compounds. Rv0295c is a potentially druggable enzyme involved in cell wall biosynthesis and virulence. We evaluated the inhibitory activity of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds against Rv0295c of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, employing molecular docking, ADME evaluation, and dynamics simulations. METHODS The study screened 1800 FDA-approved compounds and selected the top five compounds with the highest docking scores. Following this, we subjected the initially screened ligands to ADME analysis based on their dock scores. In addition, the compound exhibited the highest binding affinity chosen for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the dynamic behavior of the ligand-receptor complex. RESULTS Dihydroergotamine (CHEMBL1732) exhibited the highest binding affinity (-12.8 kcal/mol) for Rv0295c within this set of compounds. We evaluated the stability and binding modes of the complex over extended simulation trajectories. CONCLUSION Our in silico analysis demonstrates that FDA-approved drugs can serve as potential Rv0295c inhibitors through repurposing. The combination of molecular docking and MD simulation offers a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between ligands and the protein target, providing valuable guidance for further experimental validation. Identifying Rv0295c inhibitors may contribute to new anti-TB drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devesh Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, ICMR-National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
- School of Studies in Biochemistry, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Sakshi Gautam
- Department of Biochemistry, ICMR-National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nalini Srivastava
- School of Studies in Biochemistry, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Deepa Bisht
- Department of Biochemistry, ICMR-National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Liu C, Hu L, Dong G, Zhang Y, Ferreira da Silva-Júnior E, Liu X, Menéndez-Arias L, Zhan P. Emerging drug design strategies in anti-influenza drug discovery. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:4715-4732. [PMID: 38045039 PMCID: PMC10692392 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses (IFV), According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seasonal IFV epidemics result in approximately 3-5 million cases of severe illness, leading to about half a million deaths worldwide, along with severe economic losses and social burdens. Unfortunately, frequent mutations in IFV lead to a certain lag in vaccine development as well as resistance to existing antiviral drugs. Therefore, it is of great importance to develop anti-IFV drugs with high efficiency against wild-type and resistant strains, needed in the fight against current and future outbreaks caused by different IFV strains. In this review, we summarize general strategies used for the discovery and development of antiviral agents targeting multiple IFV strains (including those resistant to available drugs). Structure-based drug design, mechanism-based drug design, multivalent interaction-based drug design and drug repurposing are amongst the most relevant strategies that provide a framework for the development of antiviral drugs targeting IFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanfeng Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lide Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Guanyu Dong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Edeildo Ferreira da Silva-Júnior
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió 57072-970, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Luis Menéndez-Arias
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
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Huang L, Zhang J, Deng Y, Wang H, Zhao P, Zhao G, Zeng W, Wang Y, Chen C, Wagstaff W, Haydon RC, Reid RR, He TC, Shen L, Luu HH, Zhao L. Niclosamide (NA) overcomes cisplatin resistance in human ovarian cancer. Genes Dis 2023; 10:1687-1701. [PMID: 37397523 PMCID: PMC10311098 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most lethal malignancies of the female reproductive system. OC patients are usually diagnosed at advanced stages due to the lack of early diagnosis. The standard treatment for OC includes a combination of debulking surgery and platinum-taxane chemotherapy, while several targeted therapies have recently been approved for maintenance treatment. The vast majority of OC patients relapse with chemoresistant tumors after an initial response. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need to develop new therapeutic agents to overcome the chemoresistance of OC. The anti-parasite agent niclosamide (NA) has been repurposed as an anti-cancer agent and exerts potent anti-cancer activities in human cancers including OC. Here, we investigated whether NA could be repurposed as a therapeutic agent to overcome cisplatin-resistant (CR) in human OC cells. To this end, we first established two CR lines SKOV3CR and OVCAR8CR that exhibit the essential biological characteristics of cisplatin resistance in human cancer. We showed that NA inhibited cell proliferation, suppressed cell migration, and induced cell apoptosis in both CR lines at a low micromole range. Mechanistically, NA inhibited multiple cancer-related pathways including AP1, ELK/SRF, HIF1, and TCF/LEF, in SKOV3CR and OVCAR8CR cells. NA was further shown to effectively inhibit xenograft tumor growth of SKOV3CR cells. Collectively, our findings strongly suggest that NA may be repurposed as an efficacious agent to combat cisplatin resistance in chemoresistant human OC, and further clinical trials are highly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linjuan Huang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jing Zhang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Youling Deng
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hao Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Diagnostic Medicine, and Department of Clinical Biochemistry, The School of Laboratory Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
| | - Piao Zhao
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Guozhi Zhao
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Wei Zeng
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430050, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Connie Chen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - William Wagstaff
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Rex C. Haydon
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Russell R. Reid
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Laboratory of Craniofacial Suture Biology and Development, Department of Surgery Section of Plastic Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Tong-Chuan He
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Le Shen
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hue H. Luu
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ling Zhao
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400046, China
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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11
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Hijazi MA, Gessner A, El-Najjar N. Repurposing of Chronically Used Drugs in Cancer Therapy: A Chance to Grasp. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3199. [PMID: 37370809 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the advancement in drug discovery for cancer therapy, drug repurposing remains an exceptional opportunistic strategy. This approach offers many advantages (faster, safer, and cheaper drugs) typically needed to overcome increased challenges, i.e., side effects, resistance, and costs associated with cancer therapy. However, not all drug classes suit a patient's condition or long-time use. For that, repurposing chronically used medications is more appealing. This review highlights the importance of repurposing anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive drugs in the global fight against human malignancies. Extensive searches of all available evidence (up to 30 March 2023) on the anti-cancer activities of anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive agents are obtained from multiple resources (PubMed, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, Drug Bank database, ReDo database, and the National Institutes of Health). Interestingly, more than 92 clinical trials are evaluating the anti-cancer activity of 14 anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive drugs against more than 15 cancer types. Moreover, some of these agents have reached Phase IV evaluations, suggesting promising official release as anti-cancer medications. This comprehensive review provides current updates on different anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive classes possessing anti-cancer activities with the available evidence about their mechanism(s) and stage of development and evaluation. Hence, it serves researchers and clinicians interested in anti-cancer drug discovery and cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Ali Hijazi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon
| | - André Gessner
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nahed El-Najjar
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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12
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Kang H, Hou L, Gu Y, Lu X, Li J, Li Q. Drug-disease association prediction with literature based multi-feature fusion. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1205144. [PMID: 37284317 PMCID: PMC10239876 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1205144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Exploring the potential efficacy of a drug is a valid approach for drug development with shorter development times and lower costs. Recently, several computational drug repositioning methods have been introduced to learn multi-features for potential association prediction. However, fully leveraging the vast amount of information in the scientific literature to enhance drug-disease association prediction is a great challenge. Methods: We constructed a drug-disease association prediction method called Literature Based Multi-Feature Fusion (LBMFF), which effectively integrated known drugs, diseases, side effects and target associations from public databases as well as literature semantic features. Specifically, a pre-training and fine-tuning BERT model was introduced to extract literature semantic information for similarity assessment. Then, we revealed drug and disease embeddings from the constructed fusion similarity matrix by a graph convolutional network with an attention mechanism. Results: LBMFF achieved superior performance in drug-disease association prediction with an AUC value of 0.8818 and an AUPR value of 0.5916. Discussion: LBMFF achieved relative improvements of 31.67% and 16.09%, respectively, over the second-best results, compared to single feature methods and seven existing state-of-the-art prediction methods on the same test datasets. Meanwhile, case studies have verified that LBMFF can discover new associations to accelerate drug development. The proposed benchmark dataset and source code are available at: https://github.com/kang-hongyu/LBMFF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Kang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li Hou
- Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yaowen Gu
- Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Li
- Institute of Medical Information, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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13
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Meco D, Attinà G, Mastrangelo S, Navarra P, Ruggiero A. Emerging Perspectives on the Antiparasitic Mebendazole as a Repurposed Drug for the Treatment of Brain Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021334. [PMID: 36674870 PMCID: PMC9862092 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Repurposing approved non-antitumor drugs is a promising and affordable strategy in drug discovery to identify new therapeutic uses different from the original medical indication that may help increase the number of possible, effective anticancer drugs. The use of drugs in ways other than their original FDA-approved indications could offer novel avenues such as bypassing the chemoresistance and recurrence seen with conventional therapy and treatment; moreover, it can offer a safe and economic strategy for combination therapy. Recent works have demonstrated the anticancer properties of the FDA-approved drug Mebendazole. This synthetic benzimidazole proved effective against a broad spectrum of intestinal Helminthiasis. Mebendazole can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to inhibit the malignant progression of glioma by targeting signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, or invasion/migration, or by increasing the sensitivity of glioma cells to conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Moreover, several preclinical models and ongoing clinical trials explore the efficacy of Mebendazole in multiple cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, brain cancer, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, lung carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, prostate cancer, and head and neck cancer. The present review summarizes central literature regarding the anticancer effects of MBZ in cancer cell lines, animal tumor models, and clinical trials to suggest possible strategies for safe and economical combinations of anticancer therapies in brain cancer. Mebendazole might be an excellent candidate for the treatment of brain tumors because of its efficacy both when used as monotherapy and in combination as an enhancement to standard chemotherapeutics and radiotherapy, due to its effectiveness on tumor angiogenesis inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, and targeting of critical pathways involved in cancer such as Hedgehog signaling. Therefore, attention to MBZ repurposing has recently increased because of its potential therapeutic versatility and significant clinical implications, such as reducing medical care costs and optimizing existing therapies. Using new treatments is essential, particularly when current therapeutics for patients with brain cancer fail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Meco
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Attinà
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Mastrangelo
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Navarra
- Department of Healthcare Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Pharmacology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore-Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Ruggiero
- Pediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-3058203; Fax: +39-06-3052751
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Jampilek J. Novel avenues for identification of new antifungal drugs and current challenges. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:949-968. [PMID: 35787715 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2097659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Some of otherwise useful fungi are pathogenic to humans, and unfortunately, the number of these pathogens is increasing. In addition to common skin infections, these opportunistic pathogens are able to cause severe, often incurable, systemic mycoses. AREAS COVERED : The number of antifungal drugs is limited, especially drugs that can be used for systemic administration, and resistance to these drugs is very common. This review summarizes various approaches to the discovery and development of new antifungal drugs, provides an overview of the most important molecules in terms of basic (laboratory) research and compounds currently in clinical trials, and focuses on drug repurposing strategy, while providing an overview of drugs of other indications that have been tested in vitro for their antifungal activity for possible expansion of antifungal drugs and/or support of existing antimycotics. EXPERT OPINION : Despite the limitations of the research of new antifungal drugs by pharmaceutical manufacturers, in addition to innovated molecules based on clinically used drugs, several completely new small entities with unique mechanisms of actions have been identified. The identification of new molecular targets that offer alternatives for the development of new unique selective antifungal highly effective agents has been an important outcome of repurposing of non-antifungal drugs to antifungal drug. Also, given the advances in monoclonal antibodies and their application to immunosuppressed patients, it may seem possible to predict a more optimistic future for antifungal therapy than has been the case in recent decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Jampilek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia.,Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska Cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Crizotinib Shows Antibacterial Activity against Gram-Positive Bacteria by Reducing ATP Production and Targeting the CTP Synthase PyrG. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0088422. [PMID: 35674439 PMCID: PMC9241945 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00884-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are a serious threat to public health worldwide, and the discovery of novel antibacterial compounds is urgently needed. Here, we screened an FDA-approved small-molecule library and found that crizotinib possesses good antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive bacteria. Crizotinib was found to increase the survival rate of mice infected with bacteria and decrease pulmonary inflammation activity in an animal model. Furthermore, it showed synergy with clindamycin and gentamicin. Importantly, the Gram-positive bacteria showed a low tendency to develop resistance to crizotinib. Mechanistically, quantitative proteomics and biochemical validation experiments indicated that crizotinib exerted its antibacterial effects by reducing ATP production and pyrimidine metabolism. A drug affinity responsive target stability study suggested crizotinib targets the CTP synthase PyrG, which subsequently disturbs pyrimidine metabolism and eventually reduces DNA synthesis. Subsequent molecular dynamics analysis showed that crizotinib binding occurs in close proximity to the ATP binding pocket of PyrG and causes loss of function of this CTP synthase. Crizotinib is a promising antimicrobial agent and provides a novel choice for the development of treatment for Gram-positive infections. IMPORTANCE Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are a serious problem worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find novel drugs with good antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we found that a repurposed drug, crizotinib, exhibits excellent antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria both in vivo and in vitro via suppressing ATP production and pyrimidine metabolism. Crizotinib was found to disturb pyrimidine metabolism by targeting the CTP synthase PyrG, thus reducing DNA synthesis. This unique mechanism of action may explain the decreased development of resistance by Staphylococcus aureus to crizotinib. This study provides a potential option for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections in the future.
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Jampilek J. Drug repurposing to overcome microbial resistance. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2028-2041. [PMID: 35561965 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Infections are a growing global threat, and the number of resistant species of microbial pathogens is alarming. However, the rapid development of cross-resistant or multidrug-resistant strains and the development of so-called 'superbugs' are in stark contrast to the number of newly launched anti-infectives on the market. In this review, I summarize the causes of antimicrobial resistance, briefly discuss different approaches to the discovery and development of new anti-infective drugs, and focus on drug repurposing strategy, which is discussed from all possible perspectives. A comprehensive overview of drugs of other indications tested for their in vitro antimicrobial activity to support existing anti-infective therapeutics is provided, including several critical remarks on this strategy of repurposing non-antibiotics to antibacterial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josef Jampilek
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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17
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Rufini A, Malisan F, Condò I, Testi R. Drug Repositioning in Friedreich Ataxia. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:814445. [PMID: 35221903 PMCID: PMC8863941 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.814445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich ataxia is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by insufficient levels of the essential mitochondrial protein frataxin. It is a severely debilitating disease that significantly impacts the quality of life of affected patients and reduces their life expectancy, however, an adequate cure is not yet available for patients. Frataxin function, although not thoroughly elucidated, is associated with assembly of iron-sulfur cluster and iron metabolism, therefore insufficient frataxin levels lead to reduced activity of many mitochondrial enzymes involved in the electron transport chain, impaired mitochondrial metabolism, reduced ATP production and inefficient anti-oxidant response. As a consequence, neurons progressively die and patients progressively lose their ability to coordinate movement and perform daily activities. Therapeutic strategies aim at restoring sufficient frataxin levels or at correcting some of the downstream consequences of frataxin deficiency. However, the classical pathways of drug discovery are challenging, require a significant amount of resources and time to reach the final approval, and present a high failure rate. Drug repositioning represents a viable alternative to boost the identification of a therapy, particularly for rare diseases where resources are often limited. In this review we will describe recent efforts aimed at the identification of a therapy for Friedreich ataxia through drug repositioning, and discuss the limitation of such strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Rufini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Fratagene Therapeutics, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessandra Rufini,
| | - Florence Malisan
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Condò
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Testi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Fratagene Therapeutics, Rome, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali H Eid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences College of Medicine and Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, QU Health Qatar University P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
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Seifert R, Schirmer B. A case to stop the use of the term 'antibiotics'. Trends Microbiol 2021; 29:963-966. [PMID: 33895061 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The word 'antibiotics' is an historical, but imprecise, term. Today, 'antibiotics' are also used for other indications and 'non-antibiotics' are repurposed for infectious diseases. This situation calls for a revision of antipathogenic drug terminology. The use of correct terms will facilitate rational antipathogenic treatment and understanding of drug repurposing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Seifert
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - Bastian Schirmer
- Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany
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