Open AccessNewly developed strategies for improving sensitivity to radiation by targeting signal pathways in cancer therapy
Author(s) -
Ding Miao,
Zhang Erlong,
He Rong,
Wang Xingyong
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/cas.12252
Subject(s) - cancer research , wnt signaling pathway , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , signal transduction , mapk/erk pathway , medicine , cancer , radioresistance , radiation sensitivity , radiation therapy , cancer cell , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , irradiation , physics , nuclear physics
Inherent and acquired resistance of cancer cells is increasingly recognized as a significant impediment to effective radiation cancer treatment. As important intracellular factors, aberrant tumor transmembrane signal transduction pathways, which include the prosurvival cascades ( PI 3 K / A kt, MAPK / ERK and JAK / STAT ) and the proapoptosis pathways ( W nt, p53 and TNF ‐α/ NF ‐κ B ), have been proved to be crucial determinants of the probability of cell sensitivity to radiation in malignant lesions. There is increasing evidence that targeting the abnormal pathways that can regulate the activity of the DNA damage response and further influence the response of tumor cells to radiation may be suitable for improving radiation sensitization. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that agents targeting aberrant tumor signals can effectively improve the therapeutic effect of ionizing radiation. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the intricate interplay between tumor responses to radiation with the aberrant signal pathways, and the potential druggable targets within the pathways to sensitize tumors without significant collateral damage to normal tissues. The application of novel targeting compounds to manipulate the aberrant signal of tumor cells in clinical treatments is also addressed.