The antineoplastic properties of FTY720: evidence for the repurposing of fingolimod.

Abstract

Almost all drugs approved for use in humans possess potentially beneficial 'off-target' effects in addition to their principal activity. In some cases this has allowed for the relatively rapid repurposing of drugs for other indications. In this review we focus on the potential for re-purposing FTY720 (also known as fingolimod, Gilenya(™)), an immunomodulatory drug recently approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The therapeutic benefit of FTY720 in MS is largely attributed to the immunosuppressive effects that result from its modulation of sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor signalling. However, this drug has also been shown to inhibit other cancer-associated signal transduction pathways in part because of its structural similarity to sphingosine, and consequently shows efficacy as an anti-cancer agent both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we review the effects of FTY720 on signal transduction pathways and cancer-related cellular processes, and discuss its potential use as an anti-cancer drug.

• Authors: Sathya Narayanan Patmanathan, Lee Fah Yap, Paul G Murray, Ian C Paterson
• Journal: Journal of cellular and molecular medicine (J Cell Mol Med) Vol. 19 Issue 10 Pg. 2329-40 (Oct 2015) ISSN: 1582-4934 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26171944 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Fingolimod Hydrochloride

Topics

• Antineoplastic Agents (pharmacology)
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Drug Repositioning
• Fingolimod Hydrochloride (pharmacology)
• Humans
• Phenotype
• Signal Transduction (drug effects)