Comparative Evaluation of the Anticancer Efficacy of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics Across Diverse Cancer Cell Lines

Background: Cancer treatment faces significant challenges due to limited success with conventional therapies. Drug repurposing-identifying new applications for existing drugs—offers a promising strategy to expand therapeutic options. This study aims to evaluate and compare thein vitro anticancer potential of three fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin) across multiple human cancer cell lines, marking the first comparative analysis of their efficacy. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity assays were employed to assess the antiproliferative effects of ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin on triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), Prostate Cancer (PC3), Glioblastoma (U87), and Ovarian Cancer (SCOV3) cell lines. The experimental design focused on quantifying dose-dependent inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Results: All three fluoroquinolones demonstrated anticancer activity, but moxifloxacin exhibited superior antiproliferative effects compared to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin across all tested cell lines. Dose-response analyses revealed consistent inhibitory patterns, with moxifloxacin achieving the highest reduction in cancer cell viability. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of fluoroquinolones, particularly moxifloxacin, as adjunctive agents in cancer therapy. The findings underscore the value of drug repurposing for oncology and warrant further investigations into synergistic effects with standard chemotherapeutic regimens. Future studies should prioritizein vivo validation and combinatorial efficacy assessments to optimize clinical translation.