Signal Transduction Therapy for Cancer - Whither Now?

E-ISSN： 2212-389x|1|1|1-12

ISSN： 1574-3624

Source： Current Signal Transduction Therapy, Vol.1, Iss.1, 2006-01, pp. : 1-12

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Signal transduction therapy for cancer targets pathways that are over-active in cancer cells and upon which the cancer cells depend for their survival. Protein kinases are prime targets for signal transduction therapy. A major breakthrough was the introduction of the Bcr-Abl inhibitor imatinib/Gleevec into the clinic for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Nevertheless, even for this clonal disease, which has a well-characterized principle survival factor, signal transduction therapy faces two major problems: the emergence of drug-resistant clones and the persistence of a small population of cancer stem cells that re-establish the leukemia if treatment is stopped. Most cancers are far more heterogeneous than CML, so choosing the appropriate molecular targets is a major challenge. Signal transduction therapy can potentially reduce tumor mass and control cancer as a chronic disease. Complete cures will require ways of combating cancer stem cells and preventing metastasis, such as harnessing bystander effects and the immune system during treatment.