Molecularly Targeted Therapies for Malignant Gliomas

This review critically evaluates current knowledge of molecularly targeted therapies of malignant gliomas. Various molecularly targeted single-agent therapies, including targeted therapies of growth and survival, have been evaluated in clinical trials but have failed to demonstrate a significant survival benefit compared with standard treatment regimens. The efficacy of multi-targeted kinase inhibitors or combinations of single-targeted kinase inhibitors is a promising strategy, but requires additional clinical evaluation before definitive conclusions can be made. Important areas for further research include the assessment of serum or tissue biomarkers, the elucidation of prognostic molecular markers, and the determination of whether the mechanism of action of a drug is appropriate to the genetic alterations observed within individual tumors. (C) 2009 The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, www.feinsteininstitute.org Online address: http://www.molmed.org doi: 10.2119/moImed.2008.00123