4.7 Review

Targeting FAK in anticancer combination therapies

Journal

NATURE REVIEWS CANCER
Volume 21, Issue 5, Pages 313-324

Publisher

NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00340-6

Keywords

-

Categories

Funding

  1. Cancer Research UK Programme Award [C157/A24837]
  2. Cancer Research UK [C42454/A28596]
  3. BrainTumour Charity [GN-000676]
  4. US National Institutes of Health [R01 CA247562, R01 CA254342]
  5. Cancer Research UK Career Development Award [C39669/A25919]

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is commonly overexpressed in cancer and involved in various oncogenic processes and resistance mechanisms, making FAK inhibitors most effective as combination therapies in selected patient populations.
Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is both a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and an adaptor protein that primarily regulates adhesion signalling and cell migration, but FAK can also promote cell survival in response to stress. FAK is commonly overexpressed in cancer and is considered a high-value druggable target, with multiple FAK inhibitors currently in development. Evidence suggests that in the clinical setting, FAK targeting will be most effective in combination with other agents so as to reverse failure of chemotherapies or targeted therapies and enhance efficacy of immune-based treatments of solid tumours. Here, we discuss the recent preclinical evidence that implicates FAK in anticancer therapeutic resistance, leading to the view that FAK inhibitors will have their greatest utility as combination therapies in selected patient populations. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is overexpressed in many cancers and is involved in a multitude of oncogenic processes and resistance mechanisms. This Review discusses the rationale and preclinical evidence for FAK-based combination therapies and strategies for future development.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.7
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available