Targeted Therapies: A Molecular Overview

Cancer remains a major health issue and our understanding of its etiopathogenesis needs to be improved. Cancer cells have specific abilities such as uncontrolled proliferation, differentiation, progression, and metastasis. Improved interpretation of intracellular molecular pathways and the development of new genetic or immunological diagnostic techniques have facilitated novel treatment modalities for cancer. These therapeutic agents generally have antiproliferative properties and regulate molecular mechanisms on the intracellular pathways. Small molecule inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and some gene-editing treatments have been suggested due to the discovery of new molecular mechanisms. However, limited and transient efficacy, and drug resistance generated by mutations are among the disadvantages of these treatments. Multi-functional inhibitors have highly side effects, but benefit from greater efficacy and evading resistance while the recent specific inhibitors possess increased potency and less toxicity. Furthermore, the combination of therapeutic modalities may potentiate the outcome. Considering the actual literature, this review summarized targeted therapies for treating cancer patients in urology as an overview.