Cancer therapy: a move to the molecular level

Abstract

The development of cancer therapeutics has traditionally been based on an empirical approach. As modern biological techniques have begun to open the way to understanding of key cellular processes at the individual protein level, it has become possible to take a more mechanistic approach to the discovery of antitumour agents. This review describes some of the areas in which target mechanisms have been identified and the drugs which have been developed or are currently being investigated. Some of the interventions are not aimed primarily at the tumour, but at the host systems.