What Therapeutic Approaches Target Cancer-Related Proteins?
There are several therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting cancer-related proteins, including:
- Monoclonal antibodies: These are designed to bind specifically to target proteins on the surface of cancer cells. For example, trastuzumab (Herceptin) targets the HER2 protein in breast cancer. - Small molecule inhibitors: These drugs can inhibit the function of specific proteins involved in cancer cell growth. Imatinib (Gleevec) is a small molecule inhibitor that targets the BCR-ABL protein in chronic myeloid leukemia. - Proteasome inhibitors: These drugs block the proteasome, a complex that degrades unneeded or damaged proteins, leading to the accumulation of toxic proteins in cancer cells. Bortezomib (Velcade) is an example used in multiple myeloma treatment.
