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Drugs targeted against protein kinases

C C Kumar1, V Madison

  • 1Department of Tumour Biology, Schering-Plough Research Institute, 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA. chandra.kumar@spcorp.com

Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs
|July 2, 2005
PubMed

Insights

New cancer therapies targeting molecular pathways, like kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, show promise for improved efficacy and reduced toxicity compared to traditional treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Current cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) are limited by severe side effects and efficacy in advanced disease.
  • Understanding oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes has revealed cancer's basis in deregulated cellular signaling pathways.
  • Protein kinases are crucial in these signaling pathways, making them key therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize novel cancer therapies targeting molecular pathways, including kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies.
  • To highlight the shift towards molecularly targeted cancer treatments.
  • To discuss the potential for reduced toxicity and increased efficacy of these new agents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on targeted cancer therapies.
  • Summary of key drugs like Gleevec (imatinib) and Herceptin (trastuzumab).
  • Discussion of preclinical and clinical trial findings for kinase inhibitors and receptor antibodies.

Main Results:

  • Gleevec (imatinib) demonstrated high remission rates and low toxicity in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) by inhibiting kinases.
  • Herceptin (trastuzumab), a monoclonal antibody, shows excellent antitumor activity in breast cancer, especially in combination therapies.
  • Numerous targeted drugs are in advanced clinical trials, indicating a growing pipeline of molecularly-driven cancer treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted therapies, including kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, represent a new era in cancer treatment.
  • These novel agents offer the potential for greater specificity, improved cure rates, and reduced side effects.
  • Further clinical studies are expected to yield new, less toxic anticancer agents tailored to specific diseases.

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