Repurposing Antibiotics as Novel Therapeutics for the Treatment of Women’s Cancers: Targeting Mitochondria in Cancer Stem Cells.

The purpose of this study is to accelerate the development of clinical trials, by repurposing FDA-approved antibiotics.
Recently, we have identified 5 classes of FDA-approved antibiotics, including azithromycin and doxycycline, that can be repurposed as anti-cancer agents, for the treatment of women’s cancers. These antibiotics are non-toxic and have been used for years to target infections. We demonstrated that these antibiotics target mitochondria in cancer stem cells, in breast and ovarian cancer cell lines, as well as metastatic samples from breast cancer patients.

In this project, the PhD student will identify other FDA-approved antibiotics that target cancer stem cells. All the assays have already been optimized for drug screening. The antibiotics identified will be further validated for their ability to eradicate cancer stem cells and inhibit mitochondrial function. “Chemical proteomics” will also be performed to confirm the specific mitochondrial targets at a molecular level, allowing for “target deconvolution”.

Once specific antibiotics are identified, they will become candidates for “window-of-opportunity” (Phase II) trials in cancer patients.

For further reading, please see the following recent reviews from my laboratory:
1. Nature Reviews Cancer. 2015. 15:225-238.
2. Cancer Cell. 2014. 26(1):5-7.
3. Cell Metabolism. 2012. 15(1):4-5.