Exploring the Drug Repurposing Versatility of Valproic Acid as a Multifunctional Regulator of Innate and Adaptive Immune Cells

The document from 2019 reviews the impact of Valproic Acid (VPA) on immune cells, suggesting its potential as a drug for repurposing in immune-related conditions. VPA modulates epigenetic changes affecting gene expression related to the cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis in immune cells, leading to an anti-inflammatory response. It has been shown to induce apoptosis in tumor cells, affect the differentiation of myeloid hematopoietic progenitors, influence macrophage activity, and impact the control of intracellular bacterial infections like tuberculosis. VPA also disrupts dendritic cell maturation, impairs neutrophil and natural killer (NK) cell function, and has varying effects on other immune cells such as eosinophils, basophils, and mast cells. It interferes with cytokine production, affects T and B lymphocyte function, and promotes the generation of regulatory T cells (Treg). The document concludes that VPA's complex immunomodulatory role could be harnessed for therapeutic purposes in autoimmune diseases, cancer, and certain infectious diseases, but more research is needed to fully understand its effects.