This book presents an overview of the development of targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer with an emphasis on clinical application. The volume covers the complexity of the rapidly developing area of targeted therapies for the treatment of patients with cancer. It is structured in a way so readers may begin with chapters that most interest them and work through the rest of the chapters in the order of their choice.
Reviews the origins of molecular oncology, including technologies for cancer analysis, key pathways in human malignancies, and available pharmacologic therapies.
Molecular Therapies of Cancer comprehensively covers the molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer drug actions in a comparably systematic fashion. While there is currently available a great deal of literature on anti-cancer drugs, books on the subject are often concoctions of invited review articles superficially connected to one another. There is a lack of comprehensive and systematic text on the topic of molecular therapies in cancer. A further deficit in the relevant literature is a progressive sub-specialization that typically limits textbooks on cancer drugs to cover either pharmacology or medicinal chemistry or signal transduction, rather than explaining molecular drug actions across all those areas; Molecular Therapies of Cancer fills this void. The book is divided into five sections: 1. Molecular Targeting of Cancer Cells; 2. Emerging and Alternative Treatment Modalities; 3. Molecular Targeting of Tumor-Host Interactions; 4. Anti-Cancer Drug Pharmacokinetics; and 5. Supportive Therapies.
This book contextualizes translational research and provides an up to date progress report on therapies that are currently being targeted in lung cancer. It is now well established that there is tremendous heterogeneity among cancer cells both at the inter- and intra-tumoral level. Further, a growing body of work highlights the importance of targeted therapies and personalized medicine in treating cancer patients. In contrast to conventional therapies that are typically administered to the average patient regardless of the patient’s genotype, targeted therapies are tailored to patients with specific traits. Nonetheless, such genetic changes can be disease-specific and/or target specific; thus, the book addresses these issues manifested in the somatically acquired genetic changes of the targeted gene. Each chapter is written by a leading medical oncologist who specializes in thoracic oncology and is devoted to a particular target in a specific indication. Contributors provide an in-depth review of the literature covering the mechanisms underlying signaling, potential cross talk between the target and downstream signaling, and potential emergence of drug resistance.
Radioimmunotherapy, also known as systemic targeted radiation therapy, uses antibodies, antibody fragments, or compounds as carriers to guide radiation to the targets. It is a topic rapidly increasing in importance and success in treatment of cancer patients. This book represents a comprehensive amalgamation of the radiation physics, chemistry, radiobiology, tumor models, and clinical data for targeted radionuclide therapy. It outlines the current challenges and provides a glimpse at future directions. With significant advances in cell biology and molecular engineering, many targeting constructs are now available that will safely deliver these highly cytotoxic radionuclides in a targeted fashion. A companion website includes the full text and an image bank.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current limitations and unmet needs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. It also provides newly emerging concepts, approaches, and technologies to address challenges. Topics covered include changing landscape of HCC etiologies in association with health disparities, framework of clinical management algorithm, new and experimental modalities of HCC diagnosis and prognostication, multidisciplinary treatment options including rapidly evolving molecular targeted therapies and immune therapies, multi-omics molecular characterization, and clinically relevant experimental models. The book is intended to assist collaboration between the diverse disciplines and facilitate forward and reverse translation between basic and clinical research by providing a comprehensive overview of relevant areas, covering epidemiological trend and population-level patient management strategies, new diagnostic and prognostic tools, recent advances in the standard care and novel therapeutic approaches, and new concepts in pathogenesis and experimental approaches and tools, by experts and opinion leaders in their respective fields. By thoroughly and concisely covering whole aspects of HCC care, Hepatocellular Carcinoma serves as a valuable reference for multidisciplinary readers, and promotes the development of personalized precision care strategies that lead to substantial improvement of disease burden and patient prognosis in HCC.
From its introduction, oncological chemotherapy has been encumbered by poor selectivity because antiproliferative drugs are often toxic not only to tumor cells but also to important populations of the body’s non-neoplastic cells. Modern targeted therapies interact with defined molecules present on cancer cells, adding increased selectivity to their toxic effects. This book presents an integrated critical view on the theories, mechanisms, problems and pitfalls of the targeted therapy approach.
The treatment of patients with advanced malignancies has undergone remarkable change in the last few years. While in the past decisions about systemic therapy were largely based on the performance status of a patient, oncologists today also take into account the pathological and molecular characteristics of the patient’s tumor. Targeting specific molecular pathways important for tumorigenesis has become the preferred way of treatment for many types of malignancies. With these advances come new challenges including the optimization of therapy, recognizing and dealing with side effects and, importantly, the development of resistance. This book provides an up-to-date overview of the advances and limitations of targeted therapy for several tumor entities including breast cancer, colon cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, lung cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Written by over a dozen internationally renowned scientists, the book is suitable for advanced students, postdoctoral researchers, scientists and clinicians who wish to update their knowledge of the latest approaches to targeted cancer therapies.
We have surpassed the omics era and are truly in the Age of Molecular Therapeutics. The fast-paced development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, such as the mRNA vaccines encoding the viral spike protein, demonstrated the need for and capability of molecular therapy and nanotechnology-based solutions for drug delivery. In record speed, the SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA genome was sequenced and shared with the scientific community, allowing the rapid design of molecular therapeutics. The mRNA vaccines exploit the host cell endoplasmic reticulum to produce viral spike proteins for antigen presentation and recognition by the innate and adaptive immune system. Lipid nanoparticles enable the delivery of the fragile, degradation-sensitive nucleic acid payloads. Molecular-based therapeutics and nanotechnology solutions continue to drive the scientific and medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic as new mRNA, DNA, and protein-based vaccines are developed and approved and the emergency use approved vaccines are rapidly manufactured and distributed throughout the globe. The need for molecular therapies and drug delivery solutions is clear, and as these therapies progress and become more specialized there will be important advancements in organelle targeting. For example, using organelle targeting to direct lipid nanoparticles with mRNA payloads to the endoplasmic reticulum would increase the efficacy of mRNA vaccines, reducing the required dose and therefore the biomanufacturing demand. Likewise, improving the delivery of DNA therapeutics to the nucleus would improve efficacy. Organelles and molecules have always been drug targets, but until recently we have not had the tools or capability to design and develop such highly specific therapeutics. Organelle targeting has far-reaching implications. For example, mitochondria are central to both energy production and intrinsic apoptosis. Effectively targeting and manipulating mitochondria has therapeutic applications for diseases such as myopathies, cancer, neurodegeneration, progerias, diabetes, and the natural aging process. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that exploit the endoplasmic reticulum (for mRNA vaccines) and the nucleic translational process (DNA vaccines) attest to the need for organelle and molecular therapeutics. This book covers the status, demand, and future of organelle- and molecularly targeted therapeutics that are critical to the advancement of modern medicine. Organelle and molecular targeting is the drug design and drug delivery approach of today and the future; understanding this approach is essential for students, scientists, and clinicians contributing to modern medicine.
This book introduces molecular imaging and Target Therapy in various cancers. The first part is the subjects and primary focused on the basics of nuclear physics, radiation dosimetry, nuclear medicine equipment and small animal imaging equipment. The second part is about the radiopharmaceutical and commonly used clinical radiopharmaceuticals, including positron emission imaging agent, single photon emission imaging agent, and radionuclide therapy agents as well as their radioactive preparation, quality control, and a brief clinical application were included. Also, this part introduces a number of new imaging agents which were potential value of clinical applications. In the third part, the clinical application of the conventional imaging agent 18F-FDG in different tumors and neurodegenerative diseases and 18F-Dopa imaging in the nervous system are discussed. Besides the clinical applications of 99mTc labeled radiopharmaceuticals in parathyroid disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, sentinel lymph node, metastatic bone tumors, liver and gallbladder disease in children are introduced. Finally, the applications of radionuclide 131I on treatments of Graves' disease and differentiated thyroid cancer and metastases are investigated respectively. This book is a useful reference for professionals engaged in nuclear medicine and clinical research, including clinical nuclear medicine physicians, nuclear medicine engineers and nuclear medicine pharmacists.
