Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 22, 2026

Establishment and Characterization of Three Afatinib-resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma PC-9 Cell Lines Developed with Increasing Doses of Afatinib
09:38

Establishment and Characterization of Three Afatinib-resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma PC-9 Cell Lines Developed with Increasing Doses of Afatinib

Published on: June 26, 2019

Crizotinib for the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

D W Bowles1, A J Weickhardt, R C Doebele

  • 1University of Colorado School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.

Drugs of Today (Barcelona, Spain : 1998)
|April 27, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Crizotinib effectively targets anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in certain cancers. This ALK inhibitor showed high response rates and improved survival in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangements drive oncogenic activation in various malignancies.
  • Subsets of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), anaplastic large cell lymphoma, and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors harbor ALK rearrangements.
  • Targeting ALK is a validated strategy for treating ALK-driven cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of crizotinib, a potent ALK inhibitor.
  • To assess the clinical activity of crizotinib in patients with ALK-rearranged tumors, particularly NSCLC.

Main Methods:

  • Preclinical studies assessing crizotinib's inhibitory activity against ALK and c-Met.
  • Phase I and II clinical trials in patients with advanced ALK-positive malignancies.
  • Evaluation of response rates and progression-free survival in treated patients.

Main Results:

  • Crizotinib demonstrated potent inhibition of ALK tyrosine kinase.
  • Patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC exhibited high response rates.
  • Prolonged progression-free survival was observed in patients treated with crizotinib.

Conclusions:

  • Crizotinib is an effective therapeutic agent for ALK-driven malignancies.
  • The drug's approval for advanced ALK-positive NSCLC in 2011 marked a significant advancement in targeted therapy.
  • ALK inhibition represents a key therapeutic strategy for specific cancer subsets.

More Related Videos

Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Intratumoral Injection of Cisplatin for the Treatment of Isolated Mediastinal Recurrence of Lung Cancer04:04

Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Intratumoral Injection of Cisplatin for the Treatment of Isolated Mediastinal Recurrence of Lung Cancer

Published on: February 12, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Treatment Resistent Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistent Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists01:18

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists

Endothelins (ETs) are potent vasoactive peptides critical in the human body's various physiological and pathological processes. One of the most promising therapeutic strategies for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) involves counteracting the effects of these endothelins using a class of drugs known as endothelin receptor antagonists.
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE). Of...