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Cancer Drug Treatment and Cancer Cell Drug Resistance
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Cancer Drug Treatment and Cancer Cell Drug Resistance

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1238

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Juan Sebastian Yakisich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23693, USA
Interests: chemotherapy; plasticity; stemness; translational oncology; heterogeneity; combinational chemotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite significant advancements in basic and translational oncology, the effectiveness of available chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage cancers is limited due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of cancer cells as well as serious side effects. This Special Issue seeks to focus on recent advances in understanding key targetable biological processes of cancer cells to improve the treatment of primary and metastatic cancer.

Contributions are invited on strategies to overcome chemoresistance, tumor relapse and metastasis. We also welcome studies on key cellular processes that can be targeted with combinational chemotherapy.

We welcome original research, reviews, mini reviews, and perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Novel combinational therapies;
  2. Identification of novel targets;
  3. Strategies to minimize toxicity and adverse effects of anticancer drugs;
  4. Strategies to overcome chemoresistance;
  5. Strategies to prevent metastasis;
  6. Novel drug delivery systems.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Juan Sebastian Yakisich
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cellular plasticity
  • heterogeneity
  • combinational chemotherapy
  • metastasis
  • tumor relapse
  • novel targets
  • drug delivery

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

27 pages, 2982 KiB  
Review
The Potential of Peptide-Based Inhibitors in Disrupting Protein–Protein Interactions for Targeted Cancer Therapy
by Alexandra L. Afonso, Catarina T. Cavaleiro, Miguel A. R. B. Castanho, Vera Neves and Marco Cavaco
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(7), 3117; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26073117 - 28 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 567
Abstract
Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) form an intricate cellular network known as the interactome, which is essential for various cellular processes, such as gene regulation, signal transduction, and metabolic pathways. The dysregulation of this network has been closely linked to various disease states. In cancer, [...] Read more.
Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) form an intricate cellular network known as the interactome, which is essential for various cellular processes, such as gene regulation, signal transduction, and metabolic pathways. The dysregulation of this network has been closely linked to various disease states. In cancer, these aberrant PPIs, termed oncogenic PPIs (OncoPPIs), are involved in tumour formation and proliferation. Therefore, the inhibition of OncoPPIs becomes a strategy for targeted cancer therapy. Small molecule inhibitors have been the dominant strategy for PPI inhibition owing to their small size and ability to cross cell membranes. However, peptide-based inhibitors have emerged as compelling alternatives, offering distinct advantages over small molecule inhibitors. Peptides, with their larger size and flexible backbones, can effectively engage with the broad interfaces of PPIs. Their high specificity, lower toxicity, and ease of modification make them promising candidates for targeted cancer therapy. Over the past decade, significant advancements have been made in developing peptide-based inhibitors. This review discusses the critical aspects of targeting PPIs, emphasizes the significance of OncoPPIs in cancer therapy, and explores the advantages of using peptide-based inhibitors as therapeutic agents. It also highlights recent progress in peptide design aimed at overcoming the limitations of peptide therapeutics, offering a comprehensive overview of the current landscape and potential of peptide-based inhibitors in cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Drug Treatment and Cancer Cell Drug Resistance)
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Graphical abstract

23 pages, 668 KiB  
Review
Prolonged Low-Dose Administration of FDA-Approved Drugs for Non-Cancer Conditions: A Review of Potential Targets in Cancer Cells
by Olivia Chang, Sarah Cheon, Nina Semenova, Neelam Azad, Anand Krishnan Iyer and Juan Sebastian Yakisich
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(6), 2720; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26062720 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 503
Abstract
Though not specifically designed for cancer therapy, several FDA-approved drugs such as metformin, aspirin, and simvastatin have an effect in lowering the incidence of cancer. However, there is a great discrepancy between in vitro concentrations needed to eliminate cancer cells and the plasma [...] Read more.
Though not specifically designed for cancer therapy, several FDA-approved drugs such as metformin, aspirin, and simvastatin have an effect in lowering the incidence of cancer. However, there is a great discrepancy between in vitro concentrations needed to eliminate cancer cells and the plasma concentration normally tolerated within the body. At present, there is no universal explanation for this discrepancy and several mechanisms have been proposed including targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cellular senescence. CSCs are cells with the ability of self-renewal and differentiation known to be resistant to chemotherapy. Senescence is a response to damage and stress, characterized by permanent cell-cycle arrest and apoptotic resistance. Although, for both situations, there are few examples where low concentrations of the FDA-approved drugs were the most effective, there is no satisfactory data to support that either CSCs or cellular senescence are the target of these drugs. In this review, we concisely summarize the most used FDA-approved drugs for non-cancer conditions as well as their potential mechanisms of action in lowering cancer incidence. In addition, we propose that prolonged low-dose administration (PLDA) of specific FDA-approved drugs can be useful for effectively preventing metastasis formation in selected patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Drug Treatment and Cancer Cell Drug Resistance)
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