title: Cancer Immunotherapy: Selected Targets and Small-Molecule Modulators.
abstract: There is a significant amount of excitement in the scientific community around cancer immunotherapy, as this approach has renewed hope for many cancer patients owing to some recent successes in the clinic. Currently available immuno-oncology therapeutics under clinical development and on the market are mostly biologics (antibodies, proteins, engineered cells, and oncolytic viruses). However, modulation of the immune system with small molecules offers several advantages that may be complementary and potentially synergistic to the use of large biologicals. Therefore, the discovery and development of novel small-molecule modulators is a rapidly growing research area for medicinal chemists working in cancer immunotherapy. This review provides a brief introduction into recent trends related to selected targets and pathways for cancer immunotherapy and their small-molecule pharmacological modulators.
authors.affiliation: Bayer Pharma AG, Drug Discovery, Medicinal Chemistry Berlin, Muellerstrasse 178, 13353, Berlin, Germany. hilmar.weinmann@bayer.com.
authors.forename: Hilmar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weinmann
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007737:Kynurenine; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D000241:Adenosine
keywords: antitumor agents; cancer immunotherapy; immune system modulators; small molecules