Beyond Epilepsy Control: Repurposing Antiepileptic Drugs in Central Nervous System Tumor Therapy

Abstract

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are primarily indicated for controlling epileptic seizures. However, accumulating clinical evidence suggests that their benefits in patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors extend beyond seizure management. Emerging evidence indicates that AEDs possess direct antitumor activity independent of their antiepileptic effects, highlighting a promising novel direction for CNS tumor therapy. This review elucidates the multifaceted antitumor mechanisms of classic (e.g., valproic acid and levetiracetam) and novel (e.g., cannabidiol) AEDs, including their impacts on metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic regulation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response (ERS-UPR), ion homeostasis, and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) to provide new insights and a theoretical basis for developing multitarget therapeutic strategies.