Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
08:46

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms

Published on: December 9, 2015

10.8K

Emerging Trends in Cancer Drug Discovery-From Drugging the "Undruggable" to Overcoming Resistance

Joachim Rudolph1, Jeff Settleman2, Shiva Malek3

  • 1Genentech Research and Early Development, South San Francisco, California.

Cancer Discovery
|April 3, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Technological advances and novel drug strategies are expanding cancer treatment possibilities. New approaches like chemically induced proximity and RNA targeting promise to overcome treatment resistance for better patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Cancer drug discovery continuously evolves, pushing the boundaries of what is considered druggable.
  • Treatment resistance remains a significant obstacle to achieving long-term cure and efficacy in cancer patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To illustrate how technological advancements and challenging established dogmas have expanded cancer drug discovery.
  • To provide an outlook on emerging therapeutic modalities and their potential impact on overcoming treatment resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent cancer drug-discovery examples.
  • Exploration of novel therapeutic modalities, including chemically induced proximity and direct RNA targeting.
  • Analysis of the role of biological insights and drug combinations in advancing cancer therapy.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of how innovation has shifted druggability limits in cancer treatment.
  • Identification of promising new drug modalities with the potential to address unmet needs.
  • Highlighting the convergence of biology, modalities, and combinations for future progress.

Conclusions:

  • Technological innovation and challenging dogma are crucial drivers in cancer drug discovery.
  • Emerging modalities like chemically induced proximity and RNA targeting offer new avenues for treatment.
  • A combination of biological insights, novel drugs, and combination therapies is expected to revolutionize cancer care in the coming decade.

More Related Videos

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down08:59

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down

Published on: December 11, 2017

7.4K
Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype14:51

Pooled shRNA Library Screening to Identify Factors that Modulate a Drug Resistance Phenotype

Published on: June 17, 2022

3.4K

Related Concept Videos

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...
3.5K
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...
8.0K
Drug Discovery: Overview01:26

Drug Discovery: Overview

Drug discovery is a multifaceted process involving extensive screening, testing, and optimization of lead compounds to identify potential new drugs for therapeutic use. It combines several approaches, including screening large numbers of natural products, chemical modification of known active molecules, identification of new drug targets, and rational design based on biological mechanisms and drug-receptor structure. These approaches are carried out in both academic research laboratories and...
10.3K
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...
5.5K
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
51.6K
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
6.1K