Comprehensive review of the repositioning of non-oncologic drugs for cancer immunotherapy

Drug repositioning or repurposing has gained worldwide attention as a plausible way to search for novel molecules for the treatment of particular diseases or disorders. Drug repurposing essentially refers to uncovering approved or failed compounds for use in various diseases. Cancer is a deadly disease and leading cause of mortality. The search for approved non-oncologic drugs for cancer treatment involved in silico modeling, databases, and literature searches. In this review, we provide a concise account of the existing non-oncologic drug molecules and their therapeutic potential in chemotherapy. The mechanisms and modes of action of the repurposed drugs using computational techniques are also highlighted. Furthermore, we discuss potential targets, critical pathways, and highlight in detail the different challenges pertaining to drug repositioning for cancer immunotherapy. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)