Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy

The research and development of new anti-cancer drugs face challenges such as high costs, lengthy development cycles, and limited data on side effects. In contrast, the clinical safety and side effects of traditional drugs have been well established through long-term use. The development or repurpos...

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Main Authors: Jiayi Dong, Ting Su, Jiexiong Wu, Yu Xiang, Minghan Song, Canfeng He, Lijuan Shao, Yubin Yang, Size Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Oncology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1519355/full
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author Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Jiexiong Wu
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Yubin Yang
Yubin Yang
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
author_facet Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Jiexiong Wu
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Yubin Yang
Yubin Yang
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
author_sort Jiayi Dong
collection DOAJ
description The research and development of new anti-cancer drugs face challenges such as high costs, lengthy development cycles, and limited data on side effects. In contrast, the clinical safety and side effects of traditional drugs have been well established through long-term use. The development or repurposing of traditional drugs with potential applications in cancer treatment offers an economical, feasible, and promising strategy for new drug development. This article reviews the novel applications of traditional drugs in tumor immunotherapy, discussing how they can enhance tumor treatment efficacy through functional repositioning, while also reducing development time and costs. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have revolutionized treatment options, but resistance to ICIs remains a significant challenge. Drug repurposing has emerged as a promising strategy to identify novel agents that can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies by overcoming ICI resistance. A study suggests that drug repositioning has the potential to modulate immune cell activity or alter the tumor microenvironment, thereby circumventing the resistance mechanisms associated with immune checkpoint blockade. This approach provides a rapid and cost-effective pathway for identifying therapeutic candidates that can be quickly transitioned into clinical trials. To improve the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy, it is crucial to explore systematic methods for identifying repurposed drug candidates. Methods such as high-throughput screening, computational drug repositioning, and bioinformatic analysis have been employed to efficiently identify potential candidates for cancer treatment. Furthermore, leveraging databases related to immunotherapy and drug repurposing can provide valuable resources for drug discovery and facilitate the identification of promising compounds. It focuses on the latest advancements in the use of antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensive agents, weight-loss medications, antifungal agents, and antiviral drugs in tumor immunotherapy, examining their mechanisms of action, clinical application prospects, and associated challenges. In this context, our aim is to explore these strategies and highlight their potential for expanding the therapeutic options available for cancer immunotherapy, providing valuable references for cancer research and treatment.
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spelling doaj-art-054b58b4e5314690b2de3859ee66a3292025-08-20T02:06:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2025-03-011510.3389/fonc.2025.15193551519355Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapyJiayi Dong0Jiayi Dong1Jiayi Dong2Ting Su3Ting Su4Ting Su5Ting Su6Jiexiong Wu7Yu Xiang8Yu Xiang9Yu Xiang10Yu Xiang11Minghan Song12Minghan Song13Minghan Song14Canfeng He15Canfeng He16Canfeng He17Lijuan Shao18Lijuan Shao19Lijuan Shao20Lijuan Shao21Yubin Yang22Yubin Yang23Size Chen24Size Chen25Size Chen26Size Chen27Department of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaTraditional Chinese Medicine Department, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Immuno-Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Medicine in Esophageal Cancer, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaKey Laboratory of Monitoring Adverse Reactions Associated with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy, Guangdong Higher Education Institutions, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, ChinaThe research and development of new anti-cancer drugs face challenges such as high costs, lengthy development cycles, and limited data on side effects. In contrast, the clinical safety and side effects of traditional drugs have been well established through long-term use. The development or repurposing of traditional drugs with potential applications in cancer treatment offers an economical, feasible, and promising strategy for new drug development. This article reviews the novel applications of traditional drugs in tumor immunotherapy, discussing how they can enhance tumor treatment efficacy through functional repositioning, while also reducing development time and costs. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have revolutionized treatment options, but resistance to ICIs remains a significant challenge. Drug repurposing has emerged as a promising strategy to identify novel agents that can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies by overcoming ICI resistance. A study suggests that drug repositioning has the potential to modulate immune cell activity or alter the tumor microenvironment, thereby circumventing the resistance mechanisms associated with immune checkpoint blockade. This approach provides a rapid and cost-effective pathway for identifying therapeutic candidates that can be quickly transitioned into clinical trials. To improve the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy, it is crucial to explore systematic methods for identifying repurposed drug candidates. Methods such as high-throughput screening, computational drug repositioning, and bioinformatic analysis have been employed to efficiently identify potential candidates for cancer treatment. Furthermore, leveraging databases related to immunotherapy and drug repurposing can provide valuable resources for drug discovery and facilitate the identification of promising compounds. It focuses on the latest advancements in the use of antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensive agents, weight-loss medications, antifungal agents, and antiviral drugs in tumor immunotherapy, examining their mechanisms of action, clinical application prospects, and associated challenges. In this context, our aim is to explore these strategies and highlight their potential for expanding the therapeutic options available for cancer immunotherapy, providing valuable references for cancer research and treatment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1519355/fullold medicine new usedrug functional repositioningtumor immunotherapyimmune sensitizationcancer
spellingShingle Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Jiayi Dong
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Ting Su
Jiexiong Wu
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Yu Xiang
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Minghan Song
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Canfeng He
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Lijuan Shao
Yubin Yang
Yubin Yang
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
Size Chen
Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
Frontiers in Oncology
old medicine new use
drug functional repositioning
tumor immunotherapy
immune sensitization
cancer
title Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
title_full Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
title_fullStr Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
title_full_unstemmed Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
title_short Drug functional remapping: a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
title_sort drug functional remapping a new promise for tumor immunotherapy
topic old medicine new use
drug functional repositioning
tumor immunotherapy
immune sensitization
cancer
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1519355/full
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