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Small-molecule agents for cancer immunotherapy
Fang Wang1, Kai Fu1, Yujue Wang2
1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica. B
|March 15, 2024
Summary
Small-molecule drugs are revolutionizing cancer immunotherapy by targeting various pathways to improve patient outcomes. These agents show promise in overcoming resistance and enhancing the effectiveness of current cancer treatments.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cancer immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint blockade and CAR T-cell therapy, offers significant clinical benefits and long-term tumor regression.
- Advances in understanding the tumor immune microenvironment have spurred the development of small-molecule drugs for immunotherapy.
- Small molecules are being investigated for their potential to target diverse pathways crucial for anti-cancer immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the latest developments in small-molecule agents for cancer immunotherapy.
- To highlight the progress of these agents in recent clinical investigations.
- To discuss small molecules targeting various pathways involved in cancer immunity.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature on small-molecule cancer immunotherapy.
- Analysis of clinical investigations involving small-molecule immunotherapeutic drugs.
- Focus on small molecules targeting PRR-associated pathways, immune checkpoints, oncogenic signaling, metabolic pathways, cytokine/chemokine signaling, and immune-related kinases.
Main Results:
- Small-molecule drugs targeting defined pathways are under active clinical investigation.
- Combinations of small-molecule immunotherapies with other modalities are being explored to overcome resistance.
- Progress has been made in developing small molecules to enhance anti-tumor immunity.
Conclusions:
- Small-molecule immunotherapeutics represent a rapidly advancing area in cancer treatment.
- These agents hold potential for monotherapy and combination strategies to improve patient survival.
- Further clinical investigations are crucial to realize the full therapeutic potential of small-molecule cancer immunotherapies.
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