Drug Repurposing Analysis for Colorectal Cancer through Network Medicine Framework: Novel Candidate Drugs and Small Molecules

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the drug-repurposing candidates for colorectal cancer (CRC) via drug-repurposing methods and network biology approaches. A novel, differentially co-expressed, highly interconnected, and co-regulated prognostic gene module was identified for CRC. Based on the gene module, polyethylene glycol (PEG), gallic acid, pyrazole, cordycepin, phenothiazine, pantoprazole, cysteamine, indisulam, valinomycin, trametinib, BRD-K81473043, AZD8055, dovitinib, BRD-A17065207, and tyrphostin AG1478 presented as drugs and small molecule candidates previously studied in the CRC. Lornoxicam, suxamethonium, oprelvekin, sirukumab, levetiracetam, sulpiride, NVP-TAE684, AS605240, 480743.cdx, HDAC6 inhibitor ISOX, BRD-K03829970, and L-6307 are proposed as novel drugs and small molecule candidates for CRC.

Keywords:

• Colorectal cancer
• computational systems biology
• bioinformatics
• drug repurposing
• candidate drugs

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

U. U. was supported in the context of the Council of Higher Education (YOK) 100/2000 Doctoral Fellowship Program of Turkey. This study was supported by the Health Institutes of Turkey (TUSEB) in the context of the project 2019-TA-01/3436.