Recent Advances in Cancer Therapy: An Overview

Abstract

The landscape of cancer treatment has dramatically changed over the last four decades. The age when surgery and radiotherapy were the only effective way to fight tumour growth has ended. A complex scenario where the molecular features of tumours seem to be the cornerstone of any therapy is now emerging. Here we provide an overview on the different approaches to cancer treatment. This review will help the reader to acknowledge the pivotal role of some classic cancer therapies, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy, now better understood in the mechanims underpinning their efficacy. Following, we focus on the understanding of the value of systemic treatment and on an up-date on the novel, up-coming therapies of the current targeted therapy age, including new antibodies, small molecules, antiangiogenics and viral therapy. We briefly elaborate, finally, on new biomarkers development and how it should rule and determine the future of therapeutic research in cancer.

Development of a Target cell-Biologics-Effector cell (TBE) complex-based cell killing model to characterize target cell depletion by T cell redirecting bispecific agents

“…The potential for bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) or antibody-derived agents to bring cytotoxic T cells in close proximity to malignant tumors has led to the development of T-cell redirecting bsAbs. Unlike conventional anti-tumor drugs used in chemotherapy or targeted therapy where the drugs are active moieties, 1  T-cell redirecting bsAbs themselves usually have a minimal tumor killing effect. 2,3 Although varying substantially in protein format and architecture, all T-cell redirecting bsAbs work as adaptor molecules that bring effector cells (T cells) and target cells (tumor cells) close to each other by forming T arget cell- B iologics- E ffector cell (TBE) complexes.…”

Morus rubra Extract Induces G1 Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Lung and Prostate Cancer Cells

“…20 Thus, new approaches are needed to solve these problems, and natural products are accepted possible candidates for exploration of new anticancer agents due their high anticancer activity in cancer cells and less toxicity in normal cells. 7 Plants are excellent source of foods, chemicals and herbal medicines.…”

Signalling Pathways Leading to TRAIL Resistance

“…During the last decades, a better understanding of cancer biology has led to the development of new promising therapeutic approaches, based on "molecular targeted" drugs, directed against specific "target" molecules playing a key role in tumour maintenance (Urruticoechea et al, 2010). Based on the principle that inhibiting as many targets as possible reduces the emergence of drug resistance, the use of combined therapies or multi-target inhibitors is gaining field in the design of new treatments.…”