Searching for synthetic lethality in cancer.
The incentive to develop personalised therapy for cancer treatment is driven by the premise that it will increase therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. Understanding the underlying cellular and molecular basis of the disease has been extremely important in the design of these novel therapies; however, identifying new drug targets for personalised therapies remains problematic. This review describes how the biological concept of synthetic lethality has been successfully implemented to identify new therapeutic approaches and targets in models from yeast through to human cells. We also discuss how recent technical advances combined with an increased understanding of the complexity of cellular networks may facilitate therapeutic advances in the future.
The Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
Rachel
R
Brough
Jessica R
JR
Frankum
Sara
S
Costa-Cabral
Christopher J
CJ
Lord
Alan
A
Ashworth
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents