New Prospects for Molecular Targets for Chordomas

Abstract

Chordomas are malignant, highly recurrent tumors of the midline skeleton that arise from the remnants of the notochord. The development of systemic therapy is critically important to ultimately managing this tumor. Several ongoing trials are attempting to use molecular targeted therapies for mutated pathways in recurrent and advanced chordomas and have shown promise. In addition, immunotherapies, including brachyury-directed vaccination and checkpoint inhibition, have also been attempted with encouraging results. This article discusses the major pathways that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chordoma with an emphasis on molecular vulnerabilities that future therapies are attempting to exploit.

Keywords: Brachyury; Chordoma; Immunotherapy; Molecular targeted therapy; Notochord; Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTKs).