Repurposing of the Drug Tezosentan for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Tezosentan is a vasodilator drug that was originally developed to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. It acts by inhibiting endothelin (ET) receptors, which are overexpressed in many types of cancer cells. Endothelin-1 (ET1) is a substance produced by the body that causes blood vessels to narrow. Tezosentan has affinity for both ETA and ETB receptors. By blocking the effects of ET1, tezosentan can help to dilate blood vessels, improve the blood flow, and reduce the workload on the heart. Tezosentan has been found to have anticancer properties due to its ability to target the ET receptors, which are involved in promoting cellular processes such as proliferation, survival, neovascularization, immune cell response, and drug resistance. This review intends to demonstrate the potential of this drug in the field of oncology. Drug repurposing can be an excellent way to improve the known profiles of first-line drugs and to solve several resistance problems of these same antineoplastic drugs.