Understanding Cancer Cell Biology
For over a century, we have classified cancers by the organ or tissue where they start—such as the breast, lungs, bone marrow, or digestive system—and tailored therapies to target those areas. Fortunately, we have gained a new perspective by advancing our understanding of cancer cell biology.
Targeted Therapies - What is targeted therapy for cancer?
Targeted therapy is a treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells. It is often referred to as "targeted therapy" because it hits particular targets on cancer cells.
How do targeted therapies work?
Traditional chemotherapy drugs kill rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, whereas targeted therapies interfere only with the specific molecular pathways that drive cancer growth. Cancer cells have abnormal proteins on their surface or within their cells, allowing them to grow and divide uncontrollably. By interfering with these proteins, targeted therapies can stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.
What are the benefits of targeted therapies?
Since targeted therapies interfere with the specific proteins that drive cancer growth, they often have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs and are more likely to be effective.
Personalized Cancer Treatment
Personalize the dosing and the drug to the disease and the patient. Researchers use what are called biomarkers. In the case of cancer, biomarkers refer to substances produced by cancer cells or the body in response to cancer that identify or “mark” the specific type of cancer a patient has. Blood, urine, and tissue tests can measure them.
From the biomarkers, you can compute a risk score. This score reflects how likely a person’s cancer will progress within a certain period. The risk score can help the doctor decide which treatments to offer and how aggressively to treat a patient’s cancer.
Sequencing Cancer Genomes
Aided by powerful new technologies, such as massively parallel sequencing and whole-genome analysis, it is now possible to sequence the genomes of cancers in detail. Healthcare providers can use this information to identify the specific genetic mutations that have arisen in a particular tumor and to select therapies that exploit these vulnerabilities.
A New Paradigm
Our best way of understanding cancer is by understanding cancer cell biology and how it interacts. This requires a holistic study of interactions in biological systems, looking at cancer and how the different cell processes influence each other.
The field of cancer research continually evolves, and with the constant development of new technologies and treatments, we are moving closer to curing this disease.
By understanding cancer cell biology, we can target therapies specifically for each person’s cancer, giving them the best chance at a cure.
Our growing understanding of cancer cell biology should lead to better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer.
Anticancer therapies can destroy cancer cells preferentially by exploiting the properties that distinguish them from normal cells, including the defects they harbor in their DNA repair mechanisms, cell-cycle checkpoints, and apoptosis pathways. One can also attack tumors through their dependence on their blood supply.
Understanding the standard control mechanisms and how in specific cancers makes it possible to devise drugs to target cancers more precisely. As we identify the amplified, deleted, or mutated genes in the cells of a given tumor, we tailor treatments more precisely for each patient.
We hope you liked this article on future cancer treatments. Please feel free to contact us.
References: Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2002. Cancer Treatment: Present and Future. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK26811/
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