Repurposing alcohol-abuse drug disulfiram for the treatment of KSHV-infected primary effusion lymphoma by activating antiviral innate immunity.

ABSTRACT: Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, characterized by high treatment costs, and generally poor prognoses. Developing new anti-cancer drugs requires substantial investment, extended development timelines, and a high failure rate. Therefore, repurposing existing US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for other diseases as potential anti-cancer therapies offers a faster and more cost-effective approach. Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is an aggressive B-cell malignancy linked to Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection. In this study, we identified that disulfiram (DSF), an FDA-approved medication for alcohol dependence, acts as a potent inhibitor of KSHV-positive PEL. DSF suppresses PEL cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis through the activati

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11922253 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature