American Association for Cancer Research 1998: promises and prospects for the next century

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting showcased advancements in cancer therapy development.
• Key areas of focus included farnesyl transferase inhibitors and protein kinase inhibitors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize recent progress in cancer drug development presented at the AACR meeting.
• To highlight promising therapeutic targets and compounds in preclinical and clinical development.

Main Methods:

• Review of presentations and discussions from the AACR meeting.
• Identification of key drug classes and specific compounds under investigation.

Main Results:

• Two farnesyl transferase inhibitors (R 115777 and SCH 66336) have advanced to Phase I clinical trials.
• Several other farnesyl transferase inhibitors and new protein kinase inhibitors are nearing clinical testing.
• Angiogenesis inhibitors, including angiostatin/endostatin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors like SU 5416, show significant promise and are in clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• Significant progress is being made in the development of novel cancer therapeutics.
• Targeting farnesyl transferase, protein kinases, and angiogenesis pathways represents key strategies in current cancer research.
• Clinical trials are validating the therapeutic potential of these emerging cancer drug candidates.