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Development and Maintenance of a Preclinical Patient Derived Tumor Xenograft Model for the Investigation of Novel Anti-Cancer Therapies
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Therapeutic potential of "rexinoids" in cancer prevention and treatment

Takemi Tanaka1, Luigi M De Luca

  • 1University of Texas Health Science Center, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Takemi.Tanaka@uth.tmc.edu

Cancer Research
|June 11, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Retinoid X receptor (RXR) ligands, or rexinoids, are promising for cancer therapy by activating multiple pathways. However, clinical trials show disappointing outcomes, suggesting a loss of sensitivity to rexinoid therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Retinoid X receptor (RXR) is a key regulator of nuclear receptor signaling, controlling cell growth and differentiation.
  • RXR partners with numerous nuclear receptors, making it a target for simultaneous pathway activation.
  • Targeting RXR offers a potential strategy for molecular-targeted cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the reasons behind the disappointing outcomes of clinical trials using RXR-targeted therapy.
  • To investigate the mechanisms contributing to the loss of sensitivity to rexinoid therapy.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes current research on RXR signaling and rexinoid therapy.
  • Analysis of clinical trial data and preclinical studies investigating RXR function.

Main Results:

  • Simultaneous activation of multiple pathways via RXR ligands (rexinoids) is a theoretically attractive cancer therapy approach.
  • Clinical trials targeting RXR have shown limited success, indicating a loss of therapeutic sensitivity.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the mechanisms of rexinoid resistance is crucial for developing effective RXR-targeted cancer therapies.
  • Further research is needed to overcome the challenges observed in clinical applications of rexinoid therapy.

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