Antiparasitic drug repositioning for Cancer treatment using nanostructured drug delivery systems

• Grant number: 22/02193-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra
• Grantee: Nádia Araci Bou-Chacra
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Gabriel Lima Barros de Araujo ; Raimar Lobenberg
• Associated research grant(s): 23/14870-9 - Antiparasitic drug repositioning for Cancer treatment using nanostructured drug delivery systems, AP.R SPRINT

Abstract

The growing demand for new drugs for the treatment of neoplasms faces important barriers to be overcome. Such barriers refer to efficacy, safety, compliance with regulatory requirements and cost-effectiveness. Despite the progressive investment by companies in research, studies show that, in the United States, only 0.1% of new drugs under development progress to clinical studies and only 10% of these are approved. In this context, the need for alternatives for the treatment of neoplasms is urgent. Drug repositioning represents about 30% of new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the last decade. This strategy has aroused increasing interest from governments, non-governmental agencies, and academic researchers in identifying new functions for already approved drugs. Flubendazole and niclosamide have demonstrated activity against several types of cancer at nanomolar concentrations. However, the low water solubility of these drugs can significantly limit their oral bioavailability. This limitation can be overcome by employing nanostructured systems. The present project aims to develop nanostructured systems containing flubendazole and niclosamide for the treatment of lung and colorectal cancer, respectively. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MIYAGI, MARIANA YASUE SAITO; FARIA, RAFAEL DE OLIVEIRA; DE SOUZA, GABRIEL BATISTA; LAMEU, CLAUDIANA; TAGAMI, TATSUAKI; OZEKI, TETSUYA; BEZZON, VINICIUS DANILO NONATO; YUKUYAMA, MEGUMI NISHITANI; BOU-CHACRA, NADIA ARACI; DE ARAUJO, GABRIEL LIMA BARROS. Optimizing adjuvant inhaled chemotherapy: Synergistic enhancement in paclitaxel cytotoxicity by flubendazole nanocrystals in a cycle model approach. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, v. 644, p. 13-pg., 2023-09-25. (22/02193-0, 19/04998-2)