KRAS-Mutant Lung Cancer: Targeting Molecular and Immunologic Pathways, Therapeutic Advantages and Restrictions

<i>RAS</i> mutations are among the most common oncogenic mutations in human cancers. Among <i>RAS</i> mutations, KRAS has the highest frequency and is present in almost 30% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Lung cancer is the number one cause of mortality among...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nastaran Karimi, Seyed Javad Moghaddam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-02-01
Series:Cells
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/12/5/749
Description
Summary:<i>RAS</i> mutations are among the most common oncogenic mutations in human cancers. Among <i>RAS</i> mutations, KRAS has the highest frequency and is present in almost 30% of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Lung cancer is the number one cause of mortality among cancers as a consequence of outrageous aggressiveness and late diagnosis. High mortality rates have been the reason behind numerous investigations and clinical trials to discover proper therapeutic agents targeting KRAS. These approaches include the following: direct KRAS targeting; synthetic lethality partner inhibitors; targeting of KRAS membrane association and associated metabolic rewiring; autophagy inhibitors; downstream inhibitors; and immunotherapies and other immune-modalities such as modulating inflammatory signaling transcription factors (e.g., STAT3). The majority of these have unfortunately encountered limited therapeutic outcomes due to multiple restrictive mechanisms including the presence of co-mutations. In this review we plan to summarize the past and most recent therapies under investigation, along with their therapeutic success rate and potential restrictions. This will provide useful information to improve the design of novel agents for treatment of this deadly disease.
ISSN:2073-4409