Ameliorating Old Drugs with New Tricks in the Nano Realms

Abstract

Cancer is conventionally treated by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery. The urgent need to look for alternative therapeutic strategies reflects many loopholes. Developing a drug, however, is both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, repurposing a licensed drug along with a means to take care of the limitations can become a very sustainable approach in cancer therapy. To further intensify these responses, nanotechnology would be useful to enhance the drug’s delivery and retention while reducing toxicity. In this review, we explore the complicated association of cancer and drug repurposing and summarize recent advances in nanomaterial-based drug repurposing approaches.