Targeted Therapies for Cancers

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2025) | Viewed by 5968

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Interests: gynecological cancer; colon cancer; pancreatic cancer; signaling pathways; targeted therapy; precision medicine; combination therapy; recurrence mechanisms; immune-modulation; cancer stem cell targeting; rna-based therapy; cancer cell metabolism
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Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for an expected 2,001,140 new cancer cases and 611,720 cancer deaths in 2024 in the United States. It is necessary to conduct extensive research to develop new cancer treatments since cancer cells can develop resistance to conventional therapies, and resistant malignancies are becoming more prevalent. Furthermore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis is critical for cancer prevention, early detection, and improved prognosis. The identification of the oncogenic pathways that cause cancer cells to become treatment-resistant can accelerate the development of cancer-specific therapies.

Recent developments in molecular technology are generating a surge of cancer cell discoveries that will have a favorable impact on metastatic cancer detection and treatment in the near future. Although there are treatments in research that appear to be effective in clinical practice, many pharmaceuticals fail in clinical trials for a variety of reasons. It is challenging for a drug to successfully transition from pre-clinical research to clinical therapy. The complexity of the metastatic cascade is undoubtedly a factor in some of these failed treatments. However, these unsuccessful therapies/drugs can provide valuable information to researchers, allowing them to identify more effective therapies/drugs/targets. This strategy can help to find oncogenic pathways, mechanisms of resistance, and novel approaches to decrease tumor development and distant metastasis. Moreover, it can direct from pre-clinical models (cell lines, tumoroids, organoids, and murine models) to successful clinical trial portfolios. With advancements in nucleic acid sequencing, nanoscale biochemistry, subcellular imaging, computing power, and artificial intelligence, individualized precision diagnostics and treatments are projected to strengthen medicine in the near future. 

The focus of this Special Issue will be on cutting-edge therapeutic targets for cancerous tumors that improve our comprehension of how to target this intricate pathway in human cancers. Preference will be given to manuscripts that promote inter- and/or transdisciplinary research by applying innovative conceptual thought to theoretical models, existing methodologies, and strategy applications. Authors with expertise in these pertinent study domains are encouraged to submit systematic reviews or methodological developments as well as original research studies to this Special Issue.

Dr. Iram Fatima
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • targeted therapy
  • precision medicine
  • combination therapy
  • recurrence mechanisms
  • immune modulation
  • cancer stem cell targeting
  • rna-based therapy
  • epigenetic therapy
  • cancer cell metabolism

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1114 KiB  
Article
Outcomes of Idecabtagene Vicleucel Therapy in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Single-Institution Experience
by Aaron Trando, Farid Ghamsari, Philip Yeung, Caitlin Costello, Ila Saunders and Ah-Reum Jeong
Biomedicines 2025, 13(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13010036 - 27 Dec 2024
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel), an anti-B-cell maturation chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, represents an unprecedented treatment option for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Nevertheless, given its limitations, including the risk of adverse effects and unclear durability of efficacy, there remains a need to [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide-cel), an anti-B-cell maturation chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, represents an unprecedented treatment option for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Nevertheless, given its limitations, including the risk of adverse effects and unclear durability of efficacy, there remains a need to report the real-world clinical outcomes of ide-cel therapy in patients with R/R MM, as well as explore host predictive factors for therapy. Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of 25 adult patients with R/R MM who received ide-cel between 2021 and 2023 at the University of California San Diego Health. Data on baseline characteristics, efficacy, safety, and post-relapse outcomes were collected. Treatment responses were assessed using the International Myeloma Working Group criteria while survival analyses were conducted using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. Results: The median age was 65. Twelve patients (48%) were male. Patients received a median of six lines of prior therapy with four patients (16%) receiving prior BCMA-targeted therapy. Six patients (24%) had high-risk cytogenetics while ten patients (40%) had extramedullary disease. The incidence of cytokine release syndrome and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome incidence was 92% and 12%, respectively. All grade infection occurred in 11 patients (44%). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation occurred in 9 of 19 patients (47%) who were CMV IgG positive prior to CAR T-cell therapy. The objective response rate (ORR) was 84%; stringent complete response was seen in 14 patients (56%). After a median follow-up of 13 months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13.9 months (95% CI: 9.21 months—not reached [NR]); median overall survival (OS) was not reached (95% CI: 19.5 months—NR). Among the 11 patients (44%) who progressed after ide-cel therapy, median OS2 was 13.7 months; especially poor outcomes (median OS2 of 1.74 months) were observed in four patients who did not respond to ide-cel. Six of these eleven patients remained alive at time of data cutoff. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed no significant predictors of ORR, PFS, or OS. Conclusions: Overall, ide-cel had comparable efficacy and safety to the KarMMa-1 trial and other reported real-world experiences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeted Therapies for Cancers)
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Review

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13 pages, 275 KiB  
Review
Targeted Therapies in Pancreatic Cancer: A New Era of Precision Medicine
by Bingyu Li, Qiong Zhang, Claire Castaneda and Shelly Cook
Biomedicines 2024, 12(10), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12102175 - 25 Sep 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4389
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, presents significant treatment challenges due to its late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Despite advances, the five-year survival rates remain dismally low, with only a fraction of patients eligible for [...] Read more.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, presents significant treatment challenges due to its late diagnosis and poor prognosis. Despite advances, the five-year survival rates remain dismally low, with only a fraction of patients eligible for potentially curative surgical interventions. This review aims to comprehensively examine the current landscape of targeted therapies in PDAC, focusing on recent developments in precision medicine approaches. We explore various molecular targets, including KRAS mutations, DNA damage repair deficiencies, mismatch repair pathway alterations, and rare genetic fusions. The review discusses emerging therapies, such as PARP inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and novel targeted agents, like RET and NTRK inhibitors. We analyze the results of key clinical trials and highlight the potential of these targeted approaches in specific patient subgroups. Recent developments in PDAC research have emphasized precision oncology, facilitated by next-generation sequencing and the identification of genetic and epigenetic alterations. This approach tailors treatments to individual genetic profiles, improving outcomes and reducing side effects. Significant strides have been made in classifying PDAC into various subtypes, enhancing therapeutic precision. The identification of specific mutations in genes like KRAS, along with advancements in targeted therapies, including small molecule inhibitors, offers new hope. Furthermore, emerging therapies targeting DNA repair pathways and immunotherapeutic strategies also show promising results. As research evolves, integrating these targeted therapies with conventional treatments might improve survival rates and quality of life for PDAC patients, underscoring the shift towards a more personalized treatment paradigm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Targeted Therapies for Cancers)
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