From Antibiotics to Cover Repurposing Strategies to Develop New Anticancer Drug
Abstract
Antibiotics, which were originally intended to treat bacterial infections, have incredible potential for repurposing as anticancer treatments due to their known safety profiles, cost-effectiveness, and ability to target cancer cell vulnerabilities. This review investigates how antibiotics combat proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance by exploiting similarities between bacterial and cancer cell processes, such as mitochondrial protein synthesis inhibition (doxycycline, azithromycin), DNA damage via intercalation (doxorubicin, bleomycin), ROS overload resulting in ferroptosis, cell cycle arrest, and anti-angiogenic effects. Cancer continues to be a global epidemic, with 19 million new cases and 10 million deaths expected in 2020 alone, compounded by resistance mechanisms that render existing treatments insufficient. Repurposing speeds up development (6.5 years vs. 13-15), lowers expenses ($200 million vs. $2-3 billion), and increases approval rates (30% vs. 11%). Tetracyclines, for example, target cancer stem cells while also acting on bacteria-induced cancers such as H. pylori stomach tumors and Salmonella gallbladder cancer. Advanced techniques, such as network pharmacology, organoid models, molecular docking, and AI/ML, help to identify candidates. Antibiotics combat infection-related oncogenesis by neutralizing toxins, reducing inflammation, and working in tandem with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. This method provides rapid clinical translation for resistant…
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