Editorial: Multi-target directed ligands for the treatment of cancer
Margherita Brindisi, Sonja M. Kessler, Vinod Kumar, Clemens Zwergel
Abstract
Multi-target directed ligands for the treatment of cancer Cancer remains a major cause of mortality. However, significant progress has been made in understanding the molecular basis of the disease. Cancer is a multigenic and multicellular disease characterized by a multifactorial etiology, which initiates uncontrolled cell growth. The major problem associated with current cancer treatment regimens is ascribable to the development of resistance to therapy, which may arise due to several reasons, such as the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins, mutations in key signaling molecules, overexpression of drug efflux pumps, or the presence of dormant and/or resistant tumor cells. Most of the anticancer drugs in clinical use are based on the principle of 'one molecule -one target -one malady'. However, multifactorial diseases such as cancer may greatly benefit from therapies simultaneously hitting multiple key pathways and/or their pathogenic cross-talk.