Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41635966›Full record

ReviewCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2026

Double-Duty Drugs: Repositioning Antipsychotics to Combat Bacterial Infections.

Navid Faraji, Mohammad Abavisani, Negar Ebadpour, Sercan Karav, Prashant Kesharwani, Amirhossein Sahebkar

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Navid FarajiMashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mohammad AbavisaniMashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Negar EbadpourImmunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Sercan KaravDepartment of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey.
Prashant KesharwaniNext-Generation Translational Nanomedicine Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India.ORCID 0000-0002-0890-769X
Amirhossein SahebkarApplied Biomedical Research Center, Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis article provides a comprehensive review of the antibacterial properties of antipsychotics, exploring proposed pathways and mechanisms of action. While experimental evidence supports certain mechanisms, such as efflux pump inhibition, others, including the impact on the respiratory chain in M. tuberculosis and cell wall inhibition, remain insufficiently substantiated.

methodsCurrent research primarily relies on in vitro experiments, with limited exploration of in vivo effects. The influence of antipsychotics on gut microbiota poses a significant concern, as alterations may lead to dysbiosis, which has been linked to various illnesses. Additionally, antimicrobial drugs can exert selective pressure, fostering resistance in bacterial strains.

resultsRepositioning antipsychotics as antimicrobials is further complicated by the need for higher doses than those approved for therapeutic use in humans, raising safety concerns. The use of antipsychotics in non-psychotic populations is particularly problematic due to a lack of proven efficacy and potential adverse effects, such as metabolic disturbances, movement disorders, and sleep issues.

conclusionsThese challenges highlight the need for extensive in vivo and clinical studies to evaluate the antibacterial potential of antipsychotics, ensuring safety and efficacy. Careful monitoring and a balanced risk-benefit analysis are essential when considering antipsychotics for antimicrobial purposes.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsAntipsychotic AgentsBacterial InfectionsDrug RepositioningAnimalsHumansAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntipsychotic Agentsantibacterialantipsychoticsclinical studiesgut microbiotaM. tuberculosissafety and efficacy

Identifiers

PMID41635966
PMCPMC12869268

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.