# Src and Abl as Therapeutic Targets in Lung Cancer: Opportunities for Drug Repurposing

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the potential of repurposing tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting Src and Abl for lung cancer treatment.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of five tyrosine kinase inhibitors and their potential repurposing for lung cancer.

## Key findings

- Src and Abl inhibitors show promise in preclinical and limited clinical studies for lung cancer.
- These inhibitors may be effective in specific molecular subtypes of lung cancer.
- Drug repurposing offers advantages in cost, safety, and development time for new cancer therapies.

## Abstract

Personalized medicine has gained an important relevance over the years with the development of targeted therapies, especially in cancer, adapted to the individual molecular tumour profiles. Accordingly, drug repurposing arises as a powerful strategy to identify and use drugs already approved for other conditions, offering advantages in terms of cost, development time, and safety. Src and Abl tyrosine kinases have been investigated as potential targets in oncology, being frequently implicated in tumour development and progression by promoting cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of five tyrosine kinase inhibitors—saracatinib, imatinib, PP2, nilotinib and, tirbanibulin—that act on Src and/or Abl. Their mechanisms of action, original therapeutic indications, and potential for repurposing in other diseases, such as lung cancer, will be discussed. Although clinical data for these drugs in lung cancer remain limited, preclinical and clinical studies suggest promising therapeutic potential, particularly in specific molecular subtypes. Overall, this review highlights the therapeutic potential of Src and Abl inhibitors beyond their original contexts and supports their possible role in lung cancer therapy, considering the disease’s high heterogeneity and the growing applicability of personalized medicine.