Targeted cancer drugs are supposed to be the 'smart bombs' of oncology. Unfortunately, many patients with the correct 'target' don't seem to respond well to the treatments Evidence is accumulating that one reason for the poor results is that there are decoy targets present that are intercepting the drugs before they can reach the cancer cells.
Ane example of a target is the epidermal growth factorA substance that stimulates cell division. Growth factors are usually small proteins or steroid hormones. They may be secreted by the same cells on which they act or by cells that reside in a different part of the body than the target cells. Some examples of growth factors include estrogen, a growth factor for breast cells, and VEGF, a growth factor that causes the development of blood vessels. Several different anti-cancer treatments are designed to inhibit the activity of growth factors. receptor (EGFR). EGFR is altered and causes problems in several cancer types, including lung cancer and colon cancer. The drugs that are used to target this proteinOne of the four basic types of biomolecule. Proteins are polymers made up of strings of amino acids. Proteins serve many functions in organisms including transport of molecules, structure, cell adhesion and as signaling molecules such as hormones. Many transcription factors, including p53 and Rb are proteins. are only partially effective. New research shows that there are several proteins that are related to EGFR that may be binding to the drugs and preventing them from reaching their intended targets. The results offer an explanation for treatment failure and may point to ways to avoid the problem.
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