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Targeted cancer therapeutics: the heartbreak of success

Nature Medicine volume 12, pages 881–882 (2006)Cite this article

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, widely hailed for their success as treatments for cancer, are also plagued by the issue of cardiotoxic side effects. The mechanism behind the heart damage now comes to light for one such inhibitor, imatinib mesylate, also known as Gleevec (pages 908–916).

One of the exciting developments in cancer research has been the clinical validation of drugs that target and inhibit oncogenic tyrosine kinases. Treatment of appropriately selected patients with these agents not only alters the natural history of the disease, but also improves survival. But some of these agents have also been troubled with issues of side effects, particularly traztuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech), which can induce heart damage.

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Figure 1: Sustained endoplasmic reticulum stress can lead to apoptosis through several pathways.

Kim Caesar

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  1. The author is in the Department of Medicine, Winters Center for Heart Failure Research, Section of Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, 77030, Texas, USA

    Douglas L Mann

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  1. Douglas L Mann
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Mann, D. Targeted cancer therapeutics: the heartbreak of success. Nat Med 12, 881–882 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0806-881

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