New promising repurposed drugs and vaccines anticancer treatment possibilities – review of the current reports

Abstract

The potential of repurposing already approved and registered non-oncological drugs and vaccines for the development of new anticancer treatments is presented. A large number of registered non-oncological drugs and vaccines modulate key cancer-related processes (such as neoangiogenesis, apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, autophagy, and aerobic glycolysis) by targeting the same upstream or downstream molecular biomarkers and signaling pathways, in the same anticancer direction. Beyond individual agents, combinations of repurposed drugs and vaccines are of greater interest for investigation, as they may reveal synergistic anticancer effects. Some repurposed drugs and vaccines are outlined for less toxic, more efficient, and affordable cancer therapies, with potential for further clinical investigations and possible impact on official clinical treatment guidelines. This review aims to present current reports of drugs and vaccines repurposed for anticancer treatment.

Keywords: cancer treatment; repurposed drugs; vaccines