Repurposing FDA-approved drugs targeting FZD10 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: insights from molecular dynamics simulations and experimental validation

Abstract

Wnt signaling is a critical pathway implicated in cancer development, with Frizzled proteins, particularly FZD10, playing key roles in tumorigenesis and recurrence. This study focuses on the potential of repurposed FDA-approved drugs targeting FZD10 as a therapeutic strategy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The tertiary structure of human FZD10 was constructed using homology modeling, validated by Ramachandran plot and ProQ analysis. Virtual screening of 1,094 FDA-approved drugs identified 17 potential inhibitors, with prazosin, rilpivirine, doxazosin, and nicergoline demonstrating significant cytotoxicity against NPC cells. Further molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy analyses confirmed the stable binding of these drugs to FZD10. The results suggest that these repurposed drugs could serve as promising candidates for targeted NPC therapy, warranting further investigation.