Targeting Clostridioides difficile: New uses for old drugs

Jianwei Chen; Yasheng Li; Siqi Wang; Hongfang Zhang; Yujie Du; Qiang Wu; Hong Wang

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.021

Targeting Clostridioides difficile: New uses for old drugs

Drug Discov Today. 2022 Jul;27(7):1862-1873. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.021. Epub 2022 Apr 4.

Authors

Jianwei Chen¹, Yasheng Li², Siqi Wang³, Hongfang Zhang³, Yujie Du³, Qiang Wu⁴, Hong Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China; Macau University of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macao.
² Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University & Anhui Center for Surveillance of Bacterial Resistance, Hefei, China.
³ College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.
⁴ Macau University of Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macao. Electronic address: qwu@must.edu.mo.
⁵ College of Pharmaceutical Science & Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China. Electronic address: hongw@zjut.edu.cn.

PMID: 35390545
DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.021

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile bacteria can cause life-threatening diarrhea and colitis owing to limited treatment options and unacceptably high recurrence rates among infected patients. This necessitates the development of alternative routes for C. difficile treatment. Drug repurposing with new indications represents a proven shortcut. Here, we present a refined focus on 16 FDA-approved drugs that would be suitable for further development as potential anti-C. difficile drugs. Of these drugs, clinical trials have been conducted on five currently used drugs; however, ursodeoxycholic acid is the only drug to enter Phase IV clinical trials to date. Thus, drug repurposing promotes the study of mechanistic and therapeutic strategies, providing new options for the development of next-generation anti-C. difficile agents.

Keywords: Clostridioides difficile; Infection; New uses; Old drugs.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Clostridioides
Clostridioides difficile*
Clostridium Infections* / drug therapy
Clostridium Infections* / microbiology
Drug Repositioning
Humans

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents