Current Cancer Drug Targets - Volume 3, Issue 6, 2003

Solid tumors with areas of hypoxia are the most aggressive and difficult tumors to treat and are a major reason for treatment failure. Previous attempts to treat hypoxic tumors have been largely unsuccessful and new agents are needed. The cellular response to hypoxia is controlled by the hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) transcription factor. HIF-1 consists of an oxygen regulated alpha subunit and a constitutively expressed Read More

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in the west. The high incidence and mortality make effective prevention an important public-health and economic issue. The regular intake of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been associated with decreased incidence of certain types of cancer particularly those with an inflammatory component, and then Read More

Angiogenesis is crucial for tumor development and progression, and antiangiogenetic therapy represents a promising approach for cancer treatment. Thus, the in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) regulating angiogenesis, together with the characterization of molecules expressed by endothelial cells and involved in distinct steps of the angiogenetic process, will greatly improve the design of ne Read More

Mucin-type O-glycans are upregulated and aberrantly glycosylated in many carcinomas. O-glycan Core 1 (Galβ1-3GalNAcα-O-), also called Thomsen-Friedenreich disaccharide, is a cryptic structure overexpressed in cancer cells through modification of its glycosyltransferase profile. This molecule is a useful model for study of carbohydrate immunogenicity as well as a candidate for active specific immunotherapy of cance Read More

Tumor cells respond to growth signals by the activation of protein kinases, altered gene expression and significant modifications in substrate flow and re-distribution among biosynthetic pathways. This results in a proliferating phenotype with altered cellular function. These transformed cells exhibit unique anabolic characteristics, which includes increased and preferential utilization of glucose through the non-oxidative steps o Read More

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death throughout the world. The high prevalence and mortality associated with colon cancer make effective prevention and treatment an important public health and economic concern. Among the few agents known to inhibit colorectal tumorigenesis are the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, as well as newer agents such as celecoxib and rofecoxib. Both ep Read More