Emerging Therapeutic Targets for Solid Tumors

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last two decades, the treatment of solid cancers has rapidly evolved due to the introduction of several molecular targeted therapies. In fact, from the understanding of the concept of oncogenic addiction to the discovery of several immune checkpoints, many molecular alterations and deregulated pathways have been elucidated, whose targeting constitutes a liability for the tumor(s).

Genetic and epigenetic studies, together with high-throughput screens using a variety of tools—such as sh-RNA and CRISPR/Cas9 libraries—have highlighted a plethora of potential actionable targets for the design of specific inhibitors to be used in a precision medicine approach for the treatment of solid tumors. Notably, remarkable advances have been made regarding how to target such actionable liabilities: if, two decades ago, the only proteins deemed to be chemically inhibited—via the blocking of the ATP binding site—were those belonging to the kinase superfamily, nowadays, with the advent of PROTAC technology, any protein can be suppressed via its targeted degradation.

Several targets have already been widely validated and their relative inhibitors entered into clinical practice, whereas many more are still under study at the preclinical level or are in clinical trials. The scope of this Special Issue is to offer a venue for publishing research about recently emerged or novel promising actionable targets in solid tumors. Both basic and translational original research articles or comprehensive reviews are invited.

Dr. Emanuela Grassilli
Guest Editor

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• solid tumors
• therapeutic strategies
• kinase inhibitors
• PROTACs
• high-throughput screens
• molecular pathways
• pre-clinical models
• translational studies