Advances in preclinical small molecules for the treatment of NSCLC.
BACKGROUND
NSCLC accounts for 85% of all lung cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer mortality. Advances in the knowledge of molecular events governing oncogenesis have led to a number of novel therapeutic agents targeting specific pathways critical for tumor growth.


OBJECTIVE
To summarize the recent preclinical developments of small molecules for NSCLC therapy.


METHODS
This review primarily consists of patents and publications between 1997 and 2008.


CONCLUSIONS
Small molecules with known targets, such as inhibitors for EGFR, VEGF, RAS-RAF-MAP kinase pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway, histone deacetylase, protein phosphatase, topoisomerase, cyclin dependent kinases, heat-shock protein, tubulin, DNA and MET are reviewed. Other novel small molecules with potent efficacy without target information are also discussed.
Zhang
Qiu
Q
Shandong University, Chemistry, 27 Shanda Nanlu, Jinan, 250100, China.
Feng
Wei
W
Zhou
Hongyu
H
Yan
Bing
B
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010330:Patents as Topic
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents