Current Cancer Drug Targets - Volume 12, Issue 2, 2012

p21CDKN1A (WAF1/CIP1/SDI1), the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor belonging to the Cip/Kip family, was first described as a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation and DNA replication, both in physiological conditions and after DNA damage. More recently, p21 has been recognized to play additional and fundamental roles in other important pathways, including regulation of transcription, apoptosis and DNA repair. Knock-ou Read More

Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the leading type of lung cancer; smoking is a documented risk factor. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)-mediated intracellular signaling in response to nicotine has recently been implicated in the growth regulation of NSCLC. In the current study nude mice carrying xenografts of the human lung NSCLC cell lines NCI-H322 or NCI-H441 were used as animal models. Nicotine a Read More

The treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) increasingly involves the use of molecularly targeted therapy with activity against either the tumor directly, or indirectly, through activity against host-derived mechanisms of tumor support such as angiogenesis. The most well studied signaling pathway associated with angiogenesis is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, and the only antiangio Read More

Patients with metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC), in which primary tumors are KRAS mutated, have no response to anti-EGFR therapy. However, less than half of mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type primary tumors respond to anti-EGFR therapy. Other downstream effectors of the EGFR pathway are being analyzed to fine-tune KRAS predictive value. However, as the primary tumor is the tissue of analysis that determines Read More

Accumulating evidence indicates that the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) pathway plays a key role in esophageal carcinogenesis. A better understanding of the pathway downstream of COX-2 may reveal novel targets for the prevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The objective of this study was to characterize the profile of genes involved in PGE2 metabolism and signaling in Read More

Aurora Kinase (AK) based therapy targeting AK-A & B is effective against some cancers. We have explored its potential against previously unreported incurable, metastatic androgen depletion independent Prostate Cancer (ADIPC). We used androgen sensitive (AS) and ADI lines derived from Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP) mice. The relevance of this model was unequivocally established thro Read More

Birth is characterized by an intense oxidative stress resulting in nucleotide alterations and gene overexpression in mouse lung. We showed that cigarette smoke (CS) is carcinogenic when exposure starts soon after birth and applied this bioassay to evaluate the efficacy of chemopreventive agents. The present study evaluated whether administration of the antioxidants N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and vitamin C or ascorbic acid Read More

Standard treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer currently consists of concurrent chemoradiation, leading to a 5-year disease-free survival of 66-79%, indicating that there is still ample room for improvement. Characteristic of cervical cancer is the presence of high risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in more than 99% of these tumors. When the HR HPV genome integrates into the host genome, oncogenic E6 Read More