Current Cancer Drug Targets - Volume 12, Issue 1, 2012

The current paradigm for cancer therapy is undergoing a change from non-specific cytotoxic agents to more specific approaches based on unique molecular features of cancer cells. The identification and validation of disease relevant targets are crucial for the development of molecularly targeted anticancer therapies. Advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer together with novel approaches to interf Read More

Unlike prostate and breast cancers, urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder is not yet considered as an endocrine-related neoplasm, and hormonal therapy for bladder cancer remains experimental. Nonetheless, there is increasing evidence indicating that nuclear hormone receptor signals are implicated in the development and progression of bladder cancer. Androgen-mediated androgen receptor (AR) signals have Read More

Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels from the pre-existing vasculature. Besides its role in normal physiology, angiogenesis is significantly involved in many pathological conditions, including inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Numerous studies have been undertaken in the area of tumor angiogenesis. It is known that pathological angiogenesis is necessary for tumors to proceed from avasc Read More

Background: BRCA-1/2 germline mutations are responsible for early onset breast cancer and familial association. The underlying causes of the characteristic phenotypic behavior are not completely understood, but mammary stem cells appear to have a key role in this process. Materials and Methods: We have investigated the presence of mammary stem / progenitor cells in normal tissues and in tumor tissues obtained fr Read More

Heat shock protein 32 (Hsp32), also known as heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), has recently been identified as a potential target in various hematologic malignancies. We provide evidence that Hsp32 is constitutively expressed in primary leukemic cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in various AML cell lines (HL60, U937, KG1). Expression of Hsp32 mRNA was demonstrable by qPCR, and expression of the Hsp32 pr Read More

Tumor-specific delivery of ligand-directed prodrugs can increase the therapeutic window of chemotherapeutics by maintaining efficacy whilst decreasing toxic side effects. We have previously described a series of synthetic Nalkylated isatin cytotoxins that destabilize microtubules and induce apoptosis with 10-fold greater potency than conventional anti-mitotics in vitro. Here, we report the characterization, in vitro cytot Read More

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers worldwide. Systemic chemotherapy remains the major treatment option, but with severe adverse effects. Combinations of systemic with targeted treatments may provide effective therapeutics. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate if insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) might serve as a functional target for liver cancer treatment and to investiga Read More