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Marketed drugs used for the management of hypercholesterolemia as anticancer armament
Authors Papanagnou P, Stivarou T, Papageorgiou I, Papadopoulos GE, Pappas A
Received 26 April 2017
Accepted for publication 1 August 2017
Published 8 September 2017 Volume 2017:10 Pages 4393—4411
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S140483
Checked for plagiarism Yes
Review by Single-blind
Peer reviewers approved by Dr Colin Mak
Peer reviewer comments 3
Editor who approved publication: Dr Carlos Vigil Gonzales
Panagiota Papanagnou,1 Theodora Stivarou,2 Ioannis Papageorgiou,1 Georgios E Papadopoulos,3 Anastasios Pappas1
1Department of Urology, Agios Savvas Cancer Hospital, Athens, Greece; 2Immunology Laboratory, Immunology Department, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece; 3Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
Abstract: The design of novel pharmacologic agents as well as their approval for sale in markets all over the world is a tedious and pricey process. Inevitably, oncologic patients commonly experience unwanted effects of new anticancer drugs, while the acquisition of clinical experience for these drugs is largely based on doctor–patient partnership which is not always effective. The repositioning of marketed non-antineoplastic drugs that hopefully exhibit anticancer properties into the field of oncology is a challenging option that gains ground and attracts preclinical and clinical research in an effort to override all these hindrances and minimize the risk for reduced efficacy and/or personalized toxicity. This review aims to present the anticancer properties of drugs used for the management of hypercholesterolemia. A global view of the antitumorigenicity of all marketed antihypercholesterolemic drugs is of major importance, given that atherosclerosis, which is etiologically linked to hypercholesterolemia, is a leading worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality, while hypercholesterolemia and tumorigenesis are known to be interrelated. In vitro, in vivo and clinical literature data accumulated so far outline the mechanistic basis of the antitumor function of these agents and how they could find application at the clinical setting.
Keywords: antihypercholesterolemic agents, cancer, synergism, repurposing
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