Table 1.
Drug repurposing examples and their mechanism of action in Neurological Diseases.
| Target | Structure | Drug | Drug Class | Proposed Mechanism | Original Indications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNA/RNA |  |
Carmustine | Anti-cancer | Cultured cells overexpressing APP | brain tumors, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. |
| Retinoic acid receptor RXR-alpha/beta/gamma |  |
Bexarotene | Anti-cancer | Stimulate the expression of apolipoprotein E | cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) |
| Retinoic acid receptor alpha/beta |  |
Tamibarotene | Synthetic retinoid | Reduce significantly the insoluble Aβ levels | Investigated for treatment in leukemia |
| Tyrosine-protein kinase ABL1 |  |
Imatinib | Anti-cancer | Inhibit GIST cell proliferation | malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors |
| Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) |  |
Valsartan | Anti-hypertensive | Block AT1 or processing of angiotensin II | hypertension to reduce the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events |
| Calcium channel blockers |  |
Nitrendipine | Anti-hypertensive | Calcium antagonists | mild to moderate hypertension |
| GLP1 analogs |  |
Liraglutide | Type II diabetes | GLP-1 analogue; Activating GLP-1 receptor insulin secretion | diabetes and intended for weight loss |
| Retinoid therapy |  |
Acitretin | Severe psoriasis and dyskeratosis | Induce apoptosis of primary human keratinocytes | severe psoriasis in adults |
| Tetracycline antibiotics |  |
Minocycline | Broad-spectrum antibiotics | Bind to a position of ribosome 30S subunit and inhibiting protein synthesis | inflammatory lesions of acne vulgaris |