Drug Repurposing

About Drug Repurposing:

•   It is the technique of using an existing drug or drug candidate for a new treatment or medical condition for which it was not indicated before.
•   It is also called drug repositioning or drug reprofiling, is the identification of new therapeutic uses for existing or investigational drugs.
•   It was initially developed to treat a different medical condition. It has been described as a serendipitous process that happens unexpectedly.
•   The goal of drug repurposing is to quickly identify compounds with an established safety profile and known therapeutic advantages that may prove efficacious for other indications.
•   Applications: Pharmaceutical companies are undertaking drug repurposing projects for rare diseases, oncology, infectious and autoimmune diseases and more.
•   Significance: Drug repurposing can significantly reduce timelines and cost compared with de novo drug development.

Highlights of the research

•   This research group has shown that Selegiline (L-deprenyl), an antidepressant drug from a class of drugs called monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, might be applied as anticancer therapeutics for breast cancer.
•   Selegiline was found effective in killing estrogen and progesterone-positive (ER+ & PR+) as well as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Q1: What are Autoimmune Diseases?

Autoimmune diseases result when your immune system is overactive, causing it to attack and damage your body's own tissues. Normally, your immune system creates proteins called antibodies that work to protect you against harmful substances such as viruses, cancer cells, and toxins. But with autoimmune disorders, your immune system can't tell the difference between invaders and healthy cells.

Source: Antidepressant drug can be repurposed for treating breast cance