Novel therapeutic molecular targets for prostate cancer: the mTOR signaling pathway and epidermal growth factor receptor.
OBJECTIVE
The scientific rationale and existing evidence for the use of novel molecular targets in the chemoprevention of cancer are reviewed, with special attention to prostate cancer.


METHODS
A search for relevant literature on basic science and clinical trials was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE.


RESULTS
The emergence of molecularly targeted therapies for advanced malignancies creates an important opportunity to examine these agents for the chemoprevention of prostate cancer. Two critical targets in the proliferation and malignant transformation of normal cells, the PI3/Akt signal transduction pathway and the epidermal growth factor receptor, are currently the focus of several novel investigational therapies that are in late stage phase II and phase III studies.


CONCLUSIONS
Research to date supports consideration of these novel molecular targets as future agents in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Tolcher
Anthony W
AW
Director Clinical Research, Institute for Drug Development Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011494:Protein Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020123:Sirolimus; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; C401859:temsirolimus; C546842:MTOR protein, human; C494918:AKT1 protein, human