Current Cancer Drug Targets - Volume 11, Issue 6, 2011

Targeted therapy is a type of medication that blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth, rather than by simply interfering with rapidly dividing cells (e.g. with traditional chemotherapy). Targeted cancer therapies may be more effective than current treatments and less harmful to normal cells. The main categories of targeted therapy are Read More

Although combination chemotherapy has been shown to be more effective than single agents in advanced esophagogastric cancer, the better response rates have not fulfilled their promise as overall survival times from best combination still range between 8 to 11 months. So far, the development of targeted therapies stays somewhat behind their integration into treatment concepts compared to other gastrointestinal Read More

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mesenchymal tumors that occur predominantly in the stomach and the small bowel. Their pathogenesis is generally based on primary activating mutations in the KIT or PDGFRα genes that result in constitutive activation of receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Imatinib, first designed to competitively inhibit the ATP-binding pocket of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase exhibits inhibition also in th Read More

Despite remarkable progress that has been made in the recent years in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors, in particular colorectal cancer, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains dismal. Five years after diagnosis almost all patients have died. At early stages of the disease surgery is the only modality to achieve long term survival. In the palliative setting gemcitabine confers some benefit to patients with advanced pan Read More

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer with poor prognosis and worldwide rising incidence during the last years. Although orthotopic liver transplantation, surgical resection and local destruction (alcohol or acetic acid and thermal ablation) are the only curative approaches, this can be accomplished in a minority of patients, since most of them present with advanced disease. In addition, those patients who have unde Read More

Recent studies describe a heterogeneous population of cells of the myeloid lineage, termed myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), which are observed with increased prevalence in the peripheral blood and tumor microenvironment of cancer patients, including pancreatic cancer. Accumulation of MDSC in the peripheral circulation has been related to extent of disease, and correlates with stage. MDSC have primaril Read More

The polyisoprenylation pathway incorporates a reversible step that metabolizes polyisoprenylated methylated proteins from the ester to the carboxylate form. Polyisoprenylated protein methyl transferase (PPMTase) catalyses the esterification whereas polyisoprenylated methylated protein methyl esterase (PMPMEase) hydrolyzes them. Significant changes in the balance between the two enzymes may alter polyisopr Read More

We have previously described enhanced human breast cancer cell proliferation and mouse mammary tumor growth induced by α2-adrenergic agonists, associated with α2-adrenoceptor (α2-AR) expression in epithelial cells. The aim of the present work was to assess if stromal fibroblasts can contribute to this effect. α2-AR expression was assessed by immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry, cell proliferation by [ Read More