Past, Present, and Future of Targeting Ras for Cancer Therapies

Mini Rev Med Chem. 2016;16(5):345-57. doi: 10.2174/1389557515666151001154111.

Abstract

For decades, mutant Ras (mut-Ras) proteins have been identified as drivers of multiple cancers including pancreatic, lung, and colon cancers. However, targeting this oncogene has been challenging and no Ras inhibitors are on the market to date. Lately several candidates targeting the downstream pathways of Ras signaling, including PI3K and Raf, were approved for cancer treatment. However, they do not present promising therapeutic effects on patients harboring Ras mutations. Recently, a variety of compounds have been reported to impair the activity of Ras, and these exciting discoveries reignite the hope for development of novel drugs targeting mut-Ras. In this article, we will review the progress made in this field and the current state-of-the-art technologies to develop Ras inhibitors. Also we will discuss the future direction of targeting Ras.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / metabolism
  • Small Molecule Libraries / therapeutic use
  • ras Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • ras Proteins / genetics
  • ras Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • ras Proteins