Beyond Herceptin and Gleevec.

Identification of the key role of protein kinases as potential oncoproteins has led to the emergence of a new era of target-directed therapies. Among a variety of novel therapeutic strategies two have shown the most promise and led to a variety of therapeutic agents in clinical development. One approach utilises humanised monoclonal antibodies generated against the extracellular domain of transmembrane protein kinases. The second approach is the generation of small molecule ATP analogues targeting the kinase domain itself. The approval of agents such as Herceptin for the treatment of advanced breast cancer and Gleevec for chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumours are the first examples of gene-based cancer drugs and represent the first example of a novel strategy in anti-cancer therapy.