TARGETED THERAPY

Targeted therapy is a cancer treatment approach that uses drugs to selectively target and disrupt specific molecules or pathways that contribute to cancer cell growth and survival. Unlike conventional chemotherapy, which can cause harm to normal cells along with cancer cells, targeted therapies aim to minimize systemic toxicity by precisely targeting cancer cells and sparing normal cells.

Targeted therapies may act on various molecular targets, including cell surface receptors, intracellular signaling pathways, epigenetic regulators, or immune system components. The molecular target(s) for a given targeted therapy are typically selected based on the presence of specific molecular alterations in the tumor cells, such as gene mutations.

The most common classes of targeted therapy agents include monoclonal antibodies, small molecule inhibitors, and immunomodulatory agents. Monoclonal antibodies are engineered proteins that bind to specific cell surface receptors or other molecules on cancer cells, triggering immune-mediated cytotoxicity or blocking the downstream signaling events that promote tumor growth. 

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