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Busting the Breast Cancer with AstraZeneca's Gefitinib
S Chemmalar1,2, A R Intan Shameha3, Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah4
1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), Theni 625534, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women, and in 2020, there were 684, 996 deaths due to this disease. Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) and their respective ligands have been blamed for the pathogenesis and resistance to treatment in specific breast cancer cases. With EGFR having four homologues: EGFR1, EGFR2, EGFR3, and EGFR4, in-depth understanding of EGFR biology led to the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors and antibodies against this receptor. Gefitinib (GEF), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR1, possesses a vast potential for treatment against breast cancer and is supported by a multiplicity of experiments. Unfortunately, in clinical trials, GEF did not show the outcomes expected with complete response and disease progress. This is due to incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in EGFR signaling and endocrine sensitivity. Hence, additional in-depth experiments are needed regarding various molecular pathways and crosstalk pathways to comprehend GEF's action mechanism thoroughly in breast cancer patients. In this review, the role of EGFR in the development and pathogenesis of breast cancer and the pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapy of GEF for the treatment of breast cancer have been elaborated. Nanomedicines synthesized with GEF have shown positive experimental response, paving a promising path for GEF against breast cancer.
Insights
Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) are implicated in breast cancer development. Gefitinib (GEF), an EGFR inhibitor, shows promise in nanomedicine formulations despite clinical trial limitations.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Breast cancer is a leading cause of death in women globally.
- Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) play a role in breast cancer pathogenesis and treatment resistance.
- EGFR signaling pathways are complex and incompletely understood, impacting therapeutic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of EGFR in breast cancer development and pathogenesis.
- To elaborate on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapy of Gefitinib (GEF) for breast cancer treatment.
- To explore the potential of nanomedicine formulations of GEF.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of EGFR biology in breast cancer.
- Analysis of Gefitinib (GEF) pharmacokinetics and pharmacotherapy.
- Evaluation of experimental data on GEF-based nanomedicines.
Main Results:
- EGFR signaling is crucial in breast cancer development.
- Gefitinib (GEF), an EGFR inhibitor, has shown potential but faced challenges in clinical trials due to incomplete understanding of molecular mechanisms.
- Nanomedicine formulations of GEF have demonstrated positive experimental results.
Conclusions:
- Further research into EGFR signaling pathways and crosstalk is necessary to optimize Gefitinib (GEF) efficacy.
- Nanomedicine offers a promising approach for enhancing GEF delivery and effectiveness in breast cancer treatment.
- Understanding molecular mechanisms is key to overcoming therapeutic resistance and improving patient outcomes.
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