Repurposing of MitoTam: Novel Anti-Cancer Drug Candidate Exhibits Potent Activity against Major Protozoan and Fungal Pathogens.

ABSTRACT: Many of the currently available anti-parasitic and anti-fungal frontline drugs have severe limitations, including adverse side effects, complex administration, and increasing occurrence of resistance. The discovery and development of new therapeutic agents is a costly and lengthy process. Therefore, repurposing drugs with already established clinical application offers an attractive, fast-track approach for novel treatment options. In this study, we show that the anti-cancer drug candidate MitoTam, a mitochondria-targeted analog of tamoxifen, efficiently eliminates a wide range of evolutionarily distinct pathogens in vitro, including pathogenic fungi, Plasmodium falciparum, and several species of trypanosomatid parasites, causative agents of debilitating neglected tropical diseases.

SUBMITTER: Arbon D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9380531 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature