Target Molecules/Molecular Targeted Drugs

Molecularly targeted drugs are drugs that target specific molecules in the body that cause disease (e.g., proteins and gene ) that cause the disease and suppress their functions to treat the disease safely and effectively. Molecularly targeted drugs are expected to cause less damage to normal cells and have fewer side effects than conventional anticancer drugs, allowing patients to receive treatment while maintaining a higher quality of life.

Molecularly targeted drugs are drugs that target proteins on the surface of diseased cells (e.g., cancer cells) and genes on the surface of diseased cells (e.g., cancer cells) Molecularly targeted drugs are attracting attention as drugs that efficiently target and attack proteins and genes on the surface of diseased cells (e.g., cancer cells). The molecules to be targeted are called target molecules. In recent years, it has become clear that the reason cancer cells proliferate and metastasize is due to the abnormalities of genes that serve as molecular blueprints and transcription factors (proteins that control gene expression) that play the role of switches. Many conventional anticancer drugs attack not only cancer cells but also normal cells, which often causes serious side effects. However, recent advances in cancer research have revealed that the reason cancer cells proliferate and metastasize is because substances created from abnormal genes are causing problems. In other words, if we can suppress the function of substances that cause cancer, the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells should be reduced. Molecularly targeted drugs were born from this concept.

Thus, molecular-targeted drugs recognize the characteristics of cancer cells at the genomic and molecular levels and target only the specific molecules (target molecules) that cause cancer cell proliferation and metastasis, thereby minimizing damage to normal cells. Although they are not completely free of side effects, they are less burdensome to patients than conventional cancer drugs. In addition, the development of more personalized molecular-targeted drugs based on the genetic and biological data of individual patients, utilizing health and medical data, has been actively pursued in recent years.

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