Principles of Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapies

Flashcards covering the definitions, mechanisms, examples, and adverse effects of targeted therapies and immunotherapies based on the lecture by Dr. Chinedu Simeon Aruah.

Traditional Chemotherapy

A non-specific treatment that kills rapidly dividing cells by directly damaging DNA or disrupting cell division.

Targeted Therapy

A treatment that acts on specific molecular targets in cancer cells, such as signaling pathways, receptors, or enzymes essential for tumor growth.

Immunotherapy

A treatment that boosts the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, often by removing immune “checkpoints”.

Hallmarks of Cancer

Specific traits defined by Hanahan and Weinberg, including sustained proliferative signaling, evading growth suppressors, resisting cell death, inducing angiogenesis, and activating invasion and metastasis.

Small Molecule Inhibitors

Usually oral medications that penetrate cell membranes to target intracellular enzymes; an example is Imatinib.

Monoclonal Antibodies

Usually IV medications that target extracellular domains or ligands; an example is Trastuzumab.

Imatinib

A small molecule BCR-ABL inhibitor used in the treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).

Trastuzumab

A monoclonal antibody that targets the HER2 receptor in breast cancer.

Bevacizumab

A targeted agent that works by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Agents that block PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4 to remove the "brakes" on T cells, allowing them to attack tumor cells.

CAR-T cells

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells, a type of adoptive cell therapy where T cells are engineered to attack tumors.

MSI-H

High microsatellite instability; a biomarker indicating that a tumor may be responsive to immunotherapy.

irAEs

Immune-related adverse events, such as colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, and endocrinopathies, resulting from immunotherapy.

Primary Resistance

A situation where a tumor is not responsive to therapy from the beginning.

Acquired Resistance

A situation where a tumor adapts during therapy through secondary mutations or alternative pathway activation.

Brentuximab vedotin

A CD30 antibody-drug conjugate used for Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Olaparib

A PARP inhibitor targeted therapy used for ovarian cancer with BRCA mutation.

Lutetium-177–PSMA-617

A PSMA-targeted therapy used for prostate cancer.

Atezolizumab + Bevacizumab

A combination strategy of immunotherapy and targeted therapy used in the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Precision Medicine

Treatment tailored to a patient’s specific tumor profile and biomarkers rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.