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Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
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Development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for treatment of small cell lung cancer

Motonobu Saito1,2,3, Kouya Shiraishi1, Akiteru Goto4

  • 1Division of Genome Biology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo.

Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology
|May 16, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Targeted therapies are effective in lung adenocarcinoma but not yet in small cell lung cancer due to rare driver gene identification. New targets like PARP, EZH2, DLL3, and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade show promise for SCLC treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Targeted therapy improves outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) by targeting EGFR mutations and ALK fusions.
  • Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) lacks standard targeted therapies due to infrequent identification of driver gene aberrations via next-generation sequencing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review potential gene aberrations for targeted therapy in SCLC.
  • To discuss the utility of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in SCLC.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on SCLC molecular biology and therapeutic targets.
  • Analysis of identified druggable targets including PARP, EZH2, DLL3, and PD-1/PD-L1.

Main Results:

  • Several candidate druggable targets, including PARP, EZH2, and DLL3, have been identified for SCLC.
  • Immune checkpoint blockade targeting PD-1/PD-L1 is under investigation through numerous clinical trials for SCLC efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Advances in molecular understanding reveal potential targeted therapies for SCLC.
  • Further research and clinical trials are crucial to establish targeted and immune blockade therapies as standard treatments for SCLC.

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