title: Auranofin: repurposing an old drug for a golden new age.
abstract: Drug discovery, development and registration is an expensive and time-consuming process associated with a high failure rate [Pessetto et al. (Mol Cancer Ther 12:1299-1309, 2013), Woodcock and Woosley (Annu Rev Med 59:1-12, 2008)]. Drug 'repurposing' is the identification of new therapeutic purposes for already approved drugs and is more affordable and achievable than novel drug discovery [Pessetto et al. (Mol Cancer Ther 12:1299-1309, 2013)]. Auranofin is a drug that is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis but is being investigated for potential therapeutic application in a number of other diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, HIV/AIDS, parasitic infections and bacterial infections [Tejman-Yarden et al. (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 57:2029-2035, 2013)]. The main mechanism of action of auranofin is through the inhibition of reduction/oxidation (redox) enzymes that are essential for maintaining intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Inhibition of these enzymes leads to cellular oxidative stress and intrinsic apoptosis [Pessetto et al. (Mol Cancer Ther 12:1299-1309, 2013), Fan et al. (Cell Death Dis 5:e1191, 2014), Fiskus et al. (Cancer Res 74:2520-2532, 2014), Marzano et al. (Free Radic Biol Med 42:872-881, 2007)]. Drugs such as auranofin that have already been approved for human use [Tejman-Yarden et al. (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 57:2029-2035, 2013)] can be brought into clinical use for other diseases relatively quickly and for a fraction of the cost of new drugs.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3216, Australia, cjrod@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roder
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001310:Auranofin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058492:Drug Repositioning; D006801:Humans; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D001310:Auranofin