Sertraline repositioning: an overview of its potential use as a chemotherapeutic agent after four decades of tumor reversal studies

Sertraline hydrochloride is a first-line antidepressant with potential antineoplastic properties because of its structural similarity with other drugs capable to inhibit the translation-controlled tumor protein (TCTP), a biomolecule involved in cell proliferation. Recent studies suggest it could be repositioned for cancer treatment. In this review, we systematically map the findings that repurpose sertraline as an antitumoral agent, including the mechanisms of action that support this hypotesis. From experimental in vivo and in vitro tumor models of thirteen different types of neoplasms, three mechanisms of action are proposed: apoptosis, autophagy, and drug syner-gism. The antidepressant is able to inhibit TCTP, modulate chemotherapeutical resistance and exhibit proper cytotoxicity, resulting in reduced cell counting (in vitro) and shrunken tumor masses (in vivo). A mathematical equation determined possible doses to be used in human beings, supporting that sertraline could be explored in clinical trials as a TCTP-inhibitor.

Automated summary

Sertraline hydrochloride, as a first-line antidepressant, shows potential antitumoral properties by inhibiting cell proliferation through mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, and drug synergy. Experimental studies demonstrate its ability to inhibit TCTP, modulate chemotherapeutic resistance, and exhibit cytotoxicity in reducing tumor growth.