Sagnak Aysen, Ari Ferda
Science and Art Faculty, Department of Biology, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, 16059, Türkiye.
Daru. 2025 Jul 18;33(2):24. doi: 10.1007/s40199-025-00562-1.
Cancer leads the list of causes of death worldwide, and the search for new and rapid treatment options for this disease has accelerated. New chemotherapeutic agents that inhibit tumor growth and proliferation are being introduced to the market; however, it presents various challenges, including the lengthy effectiveness of clinical trials, difficulty transitioning to phase 3 clinical stages, and high financial costs. A drug that had previously gained popularity in the market, has recently been repositioned for a different purpose, making it an excellent target for the treatment of several diseases. This review specifically focuses on the anti-cancer effects of repositioned antipsychotic medications that were studied for cancer treatment as well as their combination studies with other chemotherapeutic agents, using a literature search. A literature review covering the last 15 years was conducted using the PubMed (MEDLINE), Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases, with the keywords 'anticancer,' 'antipsychotic drugs,' and 'drug repurposing' used in combination. Studies that yielded productive results across broad historical ranges were included in the review. Initially, the correlation between schizophrenia patients and cancer was explored. Next, antipsychotic drugs with reported anticancer activities were identified, and their in vitro and in vivo anticancer mechanisms were revealed. Finally, the potential contributions and significance of these drugs in future therapeutic approaches were highlighted. In conclusion our literature search has revealed that antipsychotic medications can be useful in treating cancer.
癌症是全球主要死因之一，因此针对该疾病寻找新的快速治疗方案的研究进程加快。抑制肿瘤生长和增殖的新型化疗药物正在推向市场；然而，这带来了各种挑战，包括临床试验耗时较长、难以进入3期临床阶段以及高昂的财务成本。一种先前在市场上颇受欢迎的药物，最近被重新定位用于不同目的，使其成为治疗多种疾病的理想靶点。本综述通过文献检索，特别关注重新定位的抗精神病药物用于癌症治疗的抗癌效果以及它们与其他化疗药物的联合研究。使用PubMed（MEDLINE）、谷歌学术和科学网数据库，结合“抗癌”“抗精神病药物”和“药物重新定位”等关键词，对过去15年的文献进行了综述。在广泛历史范围内产生有效结果的研究被纳入综述。首先，探讨了精神分裂症患者与癌症之间的相关性。其次，确定了具有抗癌活性报道的抗精神病药物，并揭示了它们的体外和体内抗癌机制。最后，强调了这些药物在未来治疗方法中的潜在贡献和意义。总之，我们的文献检索表明抗精神病药物可用于治疗癌症。
