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many cancer Survivors live with the worry that their cancer can back. This “recurrence” occurs when cancer cells hide somewhere in the body – such as in the bone marrow – and begin to grow again, sometimes years later. Scientists are trying to understand how to prevent these cells from reactivating and spreading cancer.
Now, researchers are finding promising results by testing old malaria drugs as a way of prevention breast cancer From returning. This approach is called “drug repurposing”: taking drugs that already exist (even those no longer on the market) and testing whether they can treat different diseases.
Recent studies have identified two important ways in which these drugs may work to treat cancer. First, they target a process called autophagy: how cells clear and recycle their own waste. In tumors, this recycling process can help cancer cells survive when under stress, meaning they can come back after treatment.
Second, the drugs affect genes that control cell growth. These genes, including a gene called mTOR, can help cancer develop from only a few damaged cells.
Together, these processes help latent cancer cells remain viable and avoid detection by the immune system by adapting to unfavorable environments. Scientists found that the anti-malaria drugs – chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine – The number of hidden cancer cells was reduced in both laboratory dishes and people.
When mice were given chloroquine, they had fewer hidden cancer cells and lived longer than untreated mice. These promising results encouraged scientists to begin smaller human trials hydroxychloroquineA safer version of chloroquine.
About the authors
Ahmed Elbediwi is a Senior Lecturer in Cancer Biology and Clinical Biochemistry at Kingston University.
Nadine Wehida is Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Molecular Biology at Kingston University.
This article was first published Conversation And it is republished under a Creative Commons license. read the Original article.
Early human results look promising. In a small trial on 53 patients with minimal residual disease after standard breast cancer After treatment, 92% of people who took hydroxychloroquine alone remained cancer-free after three years, compared with 93% who used the targeted breast cancer therapy everolimus. The combination of both drugs showed that 100% of patients became cancer-free in three years, while cancer recurred only twice in a span of seven years.
But this study has some important limitations. This was a small, early trial and included only patients with active cancer. The results need to be confirmed in much larger, randomized controlled trials – the gold standard for testing drugs in humans – before these treatments can be considered standard care. There are still questions about the correct dosage, potential long-term side effects, and which patients will benefit most.
Other drugs being explored
Several other drug classes have also shown promise in cancer research, although most are still in the early testing phase.
Anti-inflammatory agents have been investigated based on the theory that they may have anticancer activity, given that inflammation is a hallmark of cancer. Celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug used for arthritis, has shown some promise in blocking some enzymes involved in tumor cell growth, although this is still being investigated.
Antibiotics including doxycycline – commonly used to treat bacterial pneumonia and sexually transmitted infections – have been found in laboratory studies to slow cancer cell growth by affecting the way cancer cells use energy.
Antipsychotics have also shown anticancer effects in preliminary research. Thioridazine, when combined with cancer therapy in laboratory studies, may destroy cancer stem cells – cells that encourage cancer to return.
Some studies have found that blood pressure medications make cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy.
And, sildenafil (known by its brand name Viagra) is being investigated for its ability to help slow or prevent the growth of colon cancer, although the research is in the early stages.
There are real benefits to drug repurposing. Because these drugs already have proven safety records, they can potentially be used in clinics faster and at lower cost. But the journey from promising laboratory results to actual treatments is long and uncertain.
Many drugs that show encouraging results in laboratory or animal studies fail to work when tested in humans. Even when early human trials look promising, larger studies may reveal limitations, unexpected side effects, or benefits that may only apply to specific patient subgroups.
Research continues, with scientists testing repurposed drugs at every stage of cancer care. Although drug repurposing is a valuable approach that can open up new treatment options and provide a more sustainable way to develop medicines, it is important to keep expectations realistic.
Each new idea still needs careful testing, and patients should always talk to their doctors before trying any unproven treatments.