In silico approaches for drug repurposing in oncology: protocol for a scoping review of existing evidence

Abstract

We present the protocol for a scoping review on in silico approaches for drug repurposing in oncology. The aim of the scoping review is to discuss how the in silico strategies can be implemented in drug repurposing in oncology, surpassing all current caveats. Therefore, the objective of the present protocol is to pre-define the methodology which will be implemented in the scoping review, corroborating with the transparency and ethics of the research. Our review questions comprise the in silico strategies being implemented in drug repurposing in the oncology field and the regulatory barriers involved in this process. We will search the following databases: PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and sources of grey literature. We will include studies that have implemented in silico strategies for drug repurposing in oncology. Narrative or systematic reviews, author’s opinion/comments, editorials, and study protocols will not be included. Studies not written in English, studies on drug repurposing in oncology for animal use, and studies that used in silico strategies for other objectives but drug repurposing will be excluded. Two independent reviewers will perform the inclusion/exclusion of the studies and chart the data.