[Targeted therapies and their indications in solid neoplasias]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Targeted therapies are crucial in cancer treatment, demonstrating efficacy in chemo-resistant tumors such as kidney and hepatocellular carcinomas.
• These therapies function by inhibiting specific molecular targets involved in tumor growth and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and categorize the main families of targeted cancer therapies based on their mechanisms of action.
• To highlight key molecules within each targeted therapy class.

Main Methods:

• Classification of targeted therapies based on their molecular targets and pathways.
• Identification of representative drug molecules for each category.

Main Results:

• Antiangiogenics (e.g., bevacizumab, sunitinib, sorafenib) target VEGF.
• HER inhibitors (e.g., trastuzumab, cetuximab, erlotinib, gefitinib) target HER2/EGFR.
• KIT inhibitors (e.g., imatinib) target the KIT receptor.
• mTOR inhibitors (e.g., temsirolimus, everolimus, deforolimus) target the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Conclusions:

• Targeted therapies represent a diverse and effective approach to cancer treatment.
• Understanding the classification and key molecules of these therapies is essential for clinical application.