Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies
Malignancies are unquestionably a significant public health problem. Their effective treatment is still a big challenge for modern medicine. Tumors have developed a wide range of mechanisms to evade an immune and therapeutic response. As a result, there is an unmet clinical need for research on solu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceuticals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/7/606 |
| _version_ | 1797529054654496768 |
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| author | Adrian Mor Anna Tankiewicz-Kwedlo Dariusz Pawlak |
| author_facet | Adrian Mor Anna Tankiewicz-Kwedlo Dariusz Pawlak |
| author_sort | Adrian Mor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Malignancies are unquestionably a significant public health problem. Their effective treatment is still a big challenge for modern medicine. Tumors have developed a wide range of mechanisms to evade an immune and therapeutic response. As a result, there is an unmet clinical need for research on solutions aimed at overcoming this problem. An accumulation of tryptophan metabolites belonging to the kynurenine pathway can enhance neoplastic progression because it causes the suppression of immune system response against cancer cells. They are also involved in the development of the mechanisms responsible for the resistance to antitumor therapy. Kynurenine belongs to the most potent immunosuppressive metabolites of this pathway and has a significant impact on the development of malignancies. This fact prompted researchers to assess whether targeting the enzymes responsible for its synthesis could be an effective therapeutic strategy for various cancers. To date, numerous studies, both preclinical and clinical, have been conducted on this topic, especially regarding the inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and their results can be considered noteworthy. This review gathers and systematizes the knowledge about the role of the kynurenine pathway in neoplastic progression and the findings regarding the usefulness of modulating its activity in anticancer therapy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:08:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0671911bbec43668164900908fafa8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8247 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:08:02Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceuticals |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0671911bbec43668164900908fafa8b2023-11-22T01:26:08ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472021-06-0114760610.3390/ph14070606Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of MalignanciesAdrian Mor0Anna Tankiewicz-Kwedlo1Dariusz Pawlak2Department of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Bialystok, PolandDepartment of Monitored Pharmacotherapy, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Bialystok, PolandDepartment of Pharmacodynamics, Medical University of Bialystok, Mickiewicza 2c, 15-222 Bialystok, PolandMalignancies are unquestionably a significant public health problem. Their effective treatment is still a big challenge for modern medicine. Tumors have developed a wide range of mechanisms to evade an immune and therapeutic response. As a result, there is an unmet clinical need for research on solutions aimed at overcoming this problem. An accumulation of tryptophan metabolites belonging to the kynurenine pathway can enhance neoplastic progression because it causes the suppression of immune system response against cancer cells. They are also involved in the development of the mechanisms responsible for the resistance to antitumor therapy. Kynurenine belongs to the most potent immunosuppressive metabolites of this pathway and has a significant impact on the development of malignancies. This fact prompted researchers to assess whether targeting the enzymes responsible for its synthesis could be an effective therapeutic strategy for various cancers. To date, numerous studies, both preclinical and clinical, have been conducted on this topic, especially regarding the inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and their results can be considered noteworthy. This review gathers and systematizes the knowledge about the role of the kynurenine pathway in neoplastic progression and the findings regarding the usefulness of modulating its activity in anticancer therapy.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/7/606tryptophankynurenine pathwaykynureninecancerimmune escapeindoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase |
| spellingShingle | Adrian Mor Anna Tankiewicz-Kwedlo Dariusz Pawlak Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies Pharmaceuticals tryptophan kynurenine pathway kynurenine cancer immune escape indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase |
| title | Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies |
| title_full | Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies |
| title_fullStr | Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies |
| title_short | Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies |
| title_sort | kynurenines as a novel target for the treatment of malignancies |
| topic | tryptophan kynurenine pathway kynurenine cancer immune escape indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/14/7/606 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adrianmor kynureninesasanoveltargetforthetreatmentofmalignancies AT annatankiewiczkwedlo kynureninesasanoveltargetforthetreatmentofmalignancies AT dariuszpawlak kynureninesasanoveltargetforthetreatmentofmalignancies |