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Published on: December 7, 2014

Factors underlying sensitivity of cancers to small-molecule kinase inhibitors

Pasi A Jänne1, Nathanael Gray, Jeff Settleman

  • 1Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery
|July 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Selective small-molecule kinase inhibitors show promise in cancer treatment but benefit only a subset of patients. Understanding tumor genomics and other factors is crucial for improving their effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Selective small-molecule kinase inhibitors are a key class of anti-cancer drugs.
  • These agents have shown significant clinical efficacy in various cancers, including breast and lung cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the factors influencing clinical response to small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
  • To highlight the importance of personalized medicine in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical studies and research on kinase inhibitors.
  • Analysis of factors affecting drug sensitivity in cancer patients.

Main Results:

  • Clinical benefit from kinase inhibitors is often limited to a fraction of patients.
  • Tumor genomic features significantly influence treatment response and vary widely among individuals.

Conclusions:

  • Factors beyond tumor genomics, such as pharmacogenomics, the tumor microenvironment, and drug resistance, impact cancer treatment sensitivity.
  • Personalized approaches considering these multifaceted factors are essential for developing and utilizing novel kinase inhibitors effectively.

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