Many existing drugs, such as common antibiotics and painkillers, have noted anti-cancer effects. 

The ReDO project supports researching these effects and developing their potential as oncological drugs. Cancer treatment options "from the medicine cabinet" are cheap, accessible, and already widely available.

The potential to bring this form of accessible care to developing countries is immediately obvious.

"ecancer is committed to developing affordable cancer care in all emerging countries," says Professor Gordon McVie, of the European Institute of Oncology and Founding Editor of ecancer.  "We have great pleasure therefore in partnering ReDO in disseminating news from their important and innovative project."

The two articles published today introduce the research goals of the ReDO project and address the anti-cancer properties of mebendazole, a common treatment for threadworm.

Professor McVie concludes, "A success with even one of their repurposed drugs would have a significant impact on improving cancer care in India, Africa or South America, as well as in the developed world."

To this end, ecancer will be publishing a series of articles on drug repurposing, submissions are welcome on the repositioning of any kind of drug for cancer treatment.

These articles are free to read, in line with ecancer's mission to make affordable care accessible to the global cancer community.

Read them here: 10.3332/ecancer.2014.442 and 10.3332/ecancer.2014.443, and read the editorial here: ​10.3332/ecancer.2014.ed40