Selective Raf inhibition in cancer therapy

Abstract

Over the past 5 years, the Raf kinase family has emerged as a promising target for protein-directed cancer therapy development. The goal of this review is to first provide a concise summary of the data validating Raf proteins as high-interest therapeutic targets. The authors then outline the mode of action of Raf kinases, emphasizing how Raf activities and protein interactions suggest specific approaches to inhibiting Raf. The authors then summarize the set of drugs, antisense reagents and antibodies available or in development for therapeutically targeting Raf or Raf-related proteins, as well as existing strategies combining these and other therapeutic agents. Finally, the authors discuss recent results from systems biology analyses that have the potential to increasingly guide the intelligent selection of combination therapies involving Raf-targeting agents and other therapeutics.

Keywords::

• antisense inhibitor
• B-Raf
• cancer
• c-RAF-1
• combination therapy
• epidermal growth factor
• kinase inhibitor
• MEK
• Ras
• signal transduction
• systems biology

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Erratum

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge an Appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and by NIH core grant CA06927 (to Fox Chase Cancer Center). The authors apologize to the many investigators whose studies could not be cited because of length limitations.

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