Exploration of innovative drug repurposing strategies for combating human protozoan diseases: Advances, challenges, and opportunities.
10.1016/j.jpha.2024.101084
- Author:
ShanShan HU
1
;
Zahra BATOOL
1
;
Xin ZHENG
1
;
Yin YANG
1
;
Amin ULLAH
1
;
Bairong SHEN
1
Author Information
1. Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610213, China.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Antiprotozoal drugs;
Combination therapy;
Drug repurposing;
Human protozoan diseases;
Natural products
- From:
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis
2025;15(1):101084-101084
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Protozoan infections (e.g., malaria, trypanosomiasis, and toxoplasmosis) pose a considerable global burden on public health and socioeconomic problems, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Due to the limited arsenal of effective drugs for these diseases, which are associated with devastating side effects and escalating drug resistance, there is an urgent need for innovative antiprotozoal drugs. The emergence of drug repurposing offers a low-cost approach to discovering new therapies for protozoan diseases. In this review, we summarize recent advances in drug repurposing for various human protozoan diseases and explore cost-effective strategies to identify viable new treatments. We highlight the cross-applicability of repurposed drugs across diverse diseases and harness common chemical motifs to provide new insights into drug design, facilitating the discovery of new antiprotozoal drugs. Challenges and opportunities in the field are discussed, delineating novel directions for ongoing and future research.
