Molecular targeting therapy for pancreatic cancer: current knowledge and perspectives from bench to bedside

Current medical interventions for pancreatic cancer are insufficient. Recent molecular investigations have elucidated complex genetic mechanisms of cancer that especially involve multiple signal transduction pathways; this enables us to develop molecular medicines targeting specific genetic molecules in the pathways. These molecular medicines seem to promise clues for curing cancers, including pancreatic cancer. This review describes current knowledge and perspectives regarding the development of molecular medicines for pancreatic cancer by focusing on growth factor receptor systems and three major signal transduction pathways: the RAS-MAPK, PI3K-AKT-mTOR, and hedgehog pathways.