New pharmacological strategies in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer

Abstract

According to the number of deaths lung cancer is the leading cancer type, and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most frequent subtype. Because of high NSCLC morbidity the aim of this paper is to discuss the appearance of new pharmacological possibilities in the lung cancer therapy. In the research field of new drugs there are two approaches that differ from the standard chemotherapy. According to one approach targeted therapy against specific molecules in the cancer cells is considered, like inhibitors of growth factors, or inhibitors of cell signalling (e.g. tyrosine kinase inhibitors, serine-threonine inhibitors), while on the other hand, drugs that could induce immune system in order to destroy lung cancer (like inhibitors of programmed death receptors, their ligands, or MAGE-A3 antagonists) are on the way to be discovered. Some of these drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while the others are in the first phases of clinical trials.