Results of Phase 1 Studies of Golvatinib (E7050), A c-Met and EPH Receptor-Targeted Multi-Kinase Inhibitor

Research Progresses of Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, with nearly one million new cases and deaths every year. Owing to the complex pathogenesis, hidden early symptoms, rapidly developing processes, and poor prognosis, the morbidity and mortality of HCC are increasing yearly. With the progress being made in modern medicine, the treatment of HCC is no longer limited to traditional methods. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have emerged to treat advanced and metastatic HCC in recent years. Since Sorafenib is the first molecular targeting drug against angiogenesis, targeted drugs for HCC are continually emerging. Moreover, immunotherapy plays a vital role in clinical trials. In particular, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which have received increasing attention in the field of cancer treatment, is a possible research path. Interestingly, these two therapies generally complement each other at some stages of HCC, bringing new hope for patients with advanced HCC. In this paper, we discuss the research progress of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for HCC in recent years, which will provide a reference for the further development of drugs for HCC.

Research Progress of Small Molecule VEGFR/c-Met Inhibitors as Anticancer Agents (2016-Present)

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) binds to VEGFR-A, VEGFR-C and VEGFR-D and participates in the formation of tumor blood vessels, mediates the proliferation of endothelial cells, enhances microvascular permeability, and blocks apoptosis. Blocking or downregulating the signal transduction of VEGFR is the main way to discover new drugs for many human angiogenesis-dependent malignancies. Mesenchymal epithelial transfer factor tyrosine kinase (c-Met) is a high affinity receptor for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Abnormal c-Met signaling plays an important role in the formation, invasion and metastasis of human tumors. Therefore, the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway has become a significant target for cancer treatment. Related studies have shown that the conduction of the VEGFR and c-Met signaling pathways has a synergistic effect in inducing angiogenesis and inhibiting tumor growth. In recent years, multi-target small molecule inhibitors have become a research hotspot, among which the research of VEGFR and c-Met dual-target small molecule inhibitors has become more and more extensive. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the chemical structures and biological characteristics of novel VEGFR/c-Met dual-target small-molecule inhibitors in the past five years.