Recycling the Purpose of Old Drugs to Treat Ovarian Cancer Original paper

What was studied?

This review article investigates the potential for repurposing existing, non-oncological drugs to treat ovarian cancer. It explores the use of drugs like statins, metformin, bisphosphonates, ivermectin, itraconazole, and ritonavir, which are traditionally prescribed for conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, and parasitic infections. The article emphasizes the advantages of this approach, noting that these drugs have well-established safety profiles and could offer quicker, more affordable treatment options for ovarian cancer patients. By combining these repurposed drugs with conventional chemotherapy, researchers hope to improve patient outcomes while reducing the cost and side effects associated with newer, more expensive cancer treatments.

Who was studied?

The review focuses on ovarian cancer, particularly the high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) subtype, the most common and aggressive form of the disease. It evaluates several preclinical studies using ovarian cancer cell lines and animal models, which provide insights into the potential of repurposed drugs to improve therapeutic outcomes. These studies include both in vitro testing, which assesses drug effects on cultured cancer cells, and in vivo testing, using animal models to understand how the drugs work in a living organism. In addition, the review incorporates references to ongoing clinical trials, demonstrating the growing interest in using these repurposed drugs in human cancer treatment.

Most important findings

Several important findings emerged from the review, with particular emphasis on how repurposed drugs can target ovarian cancer cells and potentially overcome common challenges like chemoresistance. Statins, for instance, showed promise in reducing ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration, as well as enhancing the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapy agents like doxorubicin. Metformin, widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, demonstrated potential to reduce cancer cell growth by regulating cellular metabolism and influencing molecular pathways involved in cancer progression. Other promising drugs, such as ivermectin, an anti-parasitic, and itraconazole, an antifungal, have shown significant effects on ovarian cancer cell growth, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy. Ritonavir, an antiviral, and bisphosphonates, typically used for treating osteoporosis, also exhibited anticancer properties when used alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Key implications

The primary implication of this study is the potential for drug repurposing to provide more affordable and accessible treatment options for ovarian cancer, especially in resource-limited settings. By repurposing drugs that are already approved for other conditions, the process of bringing them to clinical use for cancer treatment can be expedited, avoiding the lengthy and expensive drug development process. The combination of these drugs with conventional therapies could be a powerful strategy to overcome the significant challenge of chemoresistance, a common issue in ovarian cancer treatment. Additionally, the use of personalized testing approaches, such as ex vivo models derived from patient samples, could provide tailored treatment strategies, enhancing the likelihood of successful outcomes for individual patients.