This project aims to identify commonly prescribed drugs currently used for other conditions which could improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer. This is called drug repurposing. The project will investigate the mechanisms by which they work on cancer cells. Three drugs were selected, an antidiabetic medication, an antibiotic, and an antifungal agent due to their anti-cancer effects and effects on lack of oxygen in cells.
To explore this, head and neck cancer cells treated with these medications are irradiated to test the response. The potential mechanisms by which the medications and radiation work together will be investigated using advanced molecular techniques. It is hypothesised that lack of oxygen within a cancer increases resistance to radiation therapy leading to treatment failure. Stem cells are known to be the main cells that contribute to this lack of oxygen. Hence, reviewing the ways in which these medications impact oxygen levels within the tumour cells, including the volume of stem cells will be the focus of the mechanistic studies in this project.
This work has potential to improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment leading to patients potentially requiring lower radiation dosage for cure of their cancer.