title: Molecular-targeted agents combination therapy for cancer: developments and potentials.
abstract: Although chemotherapy has advanced into the era of targeted drugs, the antitumor efficacies of current therapies are limited, most likely because of the high degree of cancer clonal heterogeneity, intratumor genetic heterogeneity and cell signal complexity. As shutdown of a single target does not necessarily eradicate the cancer, the use of combinations of molecular-targeted agents (MATs) has been proposed, and some pioneering research has been conducted to examine the efficacy of this strategy. In this article, the clinical and preclinical studies that are underway in an attempt to improve the anticancer efficacy of chemotherapies through combination strategies are summarized. Studies of combining cytotoxic agents with MATs, coinhibiting two or more targets in a single pathway or coinhibiting parallel or compensatory pathways as well as specific combinations will be introduced, and the antitumor potentials of each combination strategy will be evaluated.
authors: Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Regulation Biology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Gene Engineering and Biotechnology Beijing Key Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Feifei
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Changqi
authors: C
authors: Zhao
authors: Lili
authors: L
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: anticancer efficacy; chemotherapy; combination therapy; molecular-targeted agents; relapse; signaling pathway