Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:O76050 (neu)
 3,969 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Major advances in cellular biology, genetics, pharmacology and immunology in the past decade are beginning to be translated into progress in cancer treatment. This progress is manifested by new cytotoxic drugs which have recently entered clinical practice (taxanes, topoisomerase I inhibitors, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, new purines), as well as the efficacy of monoclonal antibody therapies against the CD-20 antigen of B-cell lymphomas and the Her2/neu oncogene in breast cancer. Several new drugs in development are targeted at reversal or prevention of the multidrug resistance mechanism caused by expression of the MDR1 gene (P-glycoprotein). Tumour angiogenesis as a target is being studied in several early clinical trials. As with many other biological therapies, the evaluation of these compounds and their integration with standard therapies presents a major challenge to clinical investigators. The emerging field of genomics and gene expression micro-arrays will provide enormous information about the biology of cancers. This technology offers great opportunities for the discovery of new therapeutic targets, which should provide a basis for the design and evaluation of many new agents in the coming decade.
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PMID:New approaches in cancer treatment. 1067 67

Chemotherapy plays an important role in the management of metastatic breast cancer. The anthracyclines (doxorubicin, epirubicin) and the taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel) are considered the most active agents for patients with advanced breast cancer. Traditionally, the anthracyclines have been used in combination with cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil (FAC, FEC). The taxanes have single-agent activity similar to older combination chemotherapy treatments. There is great interest in developing anthracycline/taxane combinations. Capecitabine is indicated for patients who progress after anthracycline and taxane therapy. Vinorelbine and gemcitabine have activity in patients with metastatic breast cancer and are commonly used as third- and fourth-line palliative therapy. The role of high-dose chemotherapy is not well-defined and remains experimental. Novel cytotoxic therapy strategies include the development of anthracycline, taxane, and oral fluoropyrimidine analogues; antifolates; topoisomerase I inhibitors, and multidrug resistance inhibitors. A better understanding of the biology of breast cancer is providing novel treatment approaches. Oncogenes and tumor-supressor genes are emerging as important targets for therapy. Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the Her-2/neu protein, has been shown to prolong survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Other novel biologic therapies interfere with signal transduction pathways and angiogenesis. The challenge for the next decade will be to integrate these promising agents in the management of metastatic and primary breast cancer.
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PMID:Chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer: what to expect in 2001 and beyond. 1130 25