Anticancer Agents Based on Vulnerable Components in a Signalling Pathway

Traditional cancer treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy that are clinically beneficial, but are associated with drawbacks such as drug resistance and side effects. In quest for better treatment, many new molecular targets have been introduced in the last few decades. Finding new molecular mechanisms encourages researchers to discover new anticancer agents. Exploring the mechanism of action also facilitates anticipation of potential resistance mechanisms and optimization of rational combination therapies. The write up describes the leading molecular mechanisms for cancer therapy, including mTOR, tyrosine Wee1 kinase (WEE1), Janus kinases, PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway, serine/threonine protein kinase AKT, checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1), maternal embryonic leucine-zipper kinase (MELK), DNA methyltransferase I (DNMT1), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1/-2, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2), pan-FGFR, inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP), murine double minute 2 (MDM2), Bcl-2 family protein and reactive oxygen species 1 (ROS1). Additionally, the manuscript reviews the anticancer drugs currently under clinical trials.