Targeting platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling in gastrointestinal cancers: preclinical and clinical considerations.

Abstract

The prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal malignancies has been generally dreadful prompting robust search for better, more personalized, and more tailored treatments. In recent years, important signaling pathways leading to tumor progression and metastasis have been discovered with the subsequent development of targeted therapies to target these pathways. These include epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and mesenchymal epithelial transition (MET). In this review, we will revise the different biological and clinical aspects related to the use of PDGF pathway-targeted therapies in gastrointestinal cancers with particular focus on the future prospective in that regard.