Antipsychotic drug trifluoperazine as a potential therapeutic agent against nasopharyngeal carcinoma

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 45; no. 2; pp. 316 - 328
• Main Authors: Yeh, Chien‐Fu, Lee, Wen‐Ya, Yu, Ting‐Han, Hsu, Yen‐Bin, Lan, Ming‐Chin, Lan, Ming‐Ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Animals; anticancer drug; Antipsychotic Agents - pharmacology; Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use; Antipsychotics; Cancer; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell migration; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Cell viability; Cytotoxicity; drug repurposing; Mental disorders; Molecular modelling; Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma - drug therapy; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Psychotropic drugs; RNA sequencing; Schizophrenia; Throat cancer; Trifluoperazine; Trifluoperazine - pharmacology; Trifluoperazine - therapeutic use; Tumor cells; Wound healing; RNA sequencing; anticancer drug; nasopharyngeal carcinoma; trifluoperazine; drug repurposing
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.27238

Background Trifluoperazine (TFP) is a typical antipsychotic primarily used to treat schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether TFP can be used as a therapeutic agent against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and identify its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods We used NPC‐TW01, TW03, TW04, and BM to assess the anticancer effects of TFP by using cytotoxicity, wound healing, colony formation, and cell invasion assays. An in vivo animal study was conducted. RNA sequencing combined with Ingenuity Pathways Analysis was performed to identify the mechanism by which TFP influences NPC cells. Results Our data revealed that TFP decreased NPC cell viability in a dose‐dependent manner. The invasion and migration of NPC tumor cells were inhibited by TFP. An in vivo study also demonstrated the anticancer effects of TFP. RNA sequencing revealed several anticancer molecular mechanisms following TFP administration. Conclusions The antipsychotic drug TFP could be a potential therapeutic regimen for NPC treatment.