Fig. 2
From: The molecular basis of the anticancer effect of statins
Graphical scheme of the three stages of our research approach: (i) Data Collection and Processing: Three types of entities (genes, drugs, and cancer types) are gathered and scrutinized from databases to explore the landscape of anti-metastatic repurposable drugs via SL. The dataset encompasses five types of relationships (metastatic gene, SL gene pair, drug–gene relationship, relationships between drugs and their approved indications, and synergistic drug combination), providing the computational groundwork for drug repositioning. (ii) Data Filtering: The dataset is sorted based on GScore, DScore, and SLScore values. The most promising candidates are pinpointed through cumulative percentages and alignment with the density distribution. Optimal scores are identified as GScore > 0.35, SLScore > 0.5, and DScore > 0.35. Within the pool of best candidates, a focused search was conducted to identify those with repurposable potential. (iii) Identification and Validation: Among the best repurposable candidates, statins have demonstrated antitumor activity in accordance with retrospective meta-analyses. The in vitro experimental validation is carried out with cell lines presenting necessary mutations for susceptibility and wild type cell lines as a negative control.
