Potential Role of MEK Inhibition in Treating Patients with Colorectal Cancer

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays a fundamental role in the carcinogenesis of colorectal and numerous other neoplasms. The development of targeted agents that inhibit MEK 1 and 2 has created the potential for downstream blockade of the MAPK pathway. Though MEK inhibition has demonstrated clinically significant efficacy in several tumor types, therapeutic success has been limited in colorectal cancer (CRC). This review will describe the current experience with MEK inhibition. It will also highlight ongoing efforts and future directions, including potential rational combination strategies and the investigation into potential predictive biomarkers of response.