Advances in Targeted Cancer Therapy

Volume 63 of "Progress in Drug Research" is devoted to recent developments in targeted cancer therapy. Significant advances in the fields of molecular and tumor biology over the past decade have led to this exciting new era in c- cer therapeutics with an intensive effort in rationally-designed cancer the- peutic strategies directed against selective molecular targets. These selective approaches may ultimately lead to tailoring treatments to individual patients where molecular biomarkers of sensitivity to therapy are identified, prod- ing better tolerated therapies with less side effects than past experiences with cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy, and reducing cancer to a controlled, chronic state. This volume contains eleven chapters, including updated reviews on a range of targets, such as tumor angiogenesis, apoptosis/cell survival pa- ways, and various inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and histone deacetylases (HDAC). Additional topics, including target validation, polypharmacology and potential synergy of involving multiple targets, antisense approaches, animal models for preclinical development of targeted agents, and obstacles, including development of resistance are also presented. In addition, the p- ticular challenges involved in translating preclinical data to clinical appli- tion are discussed. It gives me great pleasure to present this new volume. I would like to express my gratitude to the chapter authors, to Birkhauser Verlag and, in particular, to Dr. Beatrice Menz and Ms. Gabriele Poppen for their assistance in compiling and editing this volume. April 2005 Richard M. Schultz vii Progress in Drug Research, Vol. 63 (R. M. Schultz, Ed.