Sohail Ahmad, Muhammad Zahoor, Muhammad Esa, Riaz Ullah
{"title":"FAPα+CAFs: Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment for Revolutionary Cancer Therapies","authors":"Sohail Ahmad, Muhammad Zahoor, Muhammad Esa, Riaz Ullah","doi":"10.2174/0115733947388031250715112019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115733947388031250715112019","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), (FAPα+CAFs) referred to as Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) that express Fibroblast Activation Protein α (FAPα) have gained significant attention for their unique diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications across several types of cancers; including epithelial, breast, pancreatic, ovarian, lung, and colorectal cancers. FAPα is a serine protease in nature, frequently expressed in the stroma of epithelial cancers and is minimally expressed in normal tissues, making it an attractive diagnostic target for cancerspecific interventions. Methods: Relevant studies published within the past decade were systematically checked via Google Scholar, ResearchGate, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus mentioning FAPα biology and its potential therapeutic applications in cancer. Additionally, clinical trials were retrieved from ClinicalTrials. gov. Results: Various drugs targeting FAPα, such as the FAPI series (FAPI-04, FAPI-42, FAPI-46, FAPI- 74), RPS-309, and 68Ga-FAP-2286, have shown promising results in cancer imaging, with high tumor uptake and sensitivity, especially in urothelial and pancreatic cancers (tumor uptake exceeding 5% ID/g, 68Ga-FAP-2286 demonstrated 100% tumor rejection in mouse models). Furthermore, 68Ga-FAP-74-PET and 177Lu-LNC1004, when combined with anti-PD-L1 therapy, demonstrated complete tumor elimination in mouse models (tumor inhibition and 100% rejection observed in MC38/NIH3T3-FAP tumor xenografts). Additionally, FAP-targeted agents like FAP5-DM1 (inhibited tumor growth and produced complete remission in xenograft models) and the FAPtau-MT vaccine (three-fold increase in survival time in mice) have been effective in improving immune responses and enhancing T-cell activity against tumors. AntiFAP-mGITRL fusion proteins have shown strong Tcell stimulation, leading to increased IFN-gamma and IL-2 production (100-fold increase in effectiveness in suppressing Tregs). FAP-targeted CAR-T cells have shown potential in improving tumor treatment outcomes by reducing immune suppressor cells (enhanced survival of CD8+ T cells in tumor tissue). The 68Ga/177Lu-LNC1004 exhibited prolonged tumor retention and higher absorption in tumor xenografts. Currently, around 40 clinical trials are ongoing (awaiting final results), exploring a variety of FAPα-targeted therapies, including novel imaging agents, vaccines, and immunotherapies. Conclusion: FAPα+CAFs expression correlates with poor prognosis in several malignancies, making them a valuable biomarker for cancer progression, as well as an emerging therapeutic target offering a new avenue for innovative cancer therapies. Despite these advancements, the use of novel drug delivery systems and long-term toxicity evaluation studies could redefine the future of FAPα-targeted therapies in cancer care.","PeriodicalId":43754,"journal":{"name":"Current Cancer Therapy Reviews","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147900842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pinky Sharma, V. Jhawat, Jatinder Singh, Rohit Dutt
{"title":"Understanding the Challenges Associated with Approval of Anticancer\u0000Products to Facilitate the Regulatory Approvals: A Cross-sectional Study","authors":"Pinky Sharma, V. Jhawat, Jatinder Singh, Rohit Dutt","doi":"10.2174/0115733947273426231128054645","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2174/0115733947273426231128054645","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000\u0000Oncological medications face a myriad of challenges, including technological,\u0000pre-clinical, clinical, and manufacturing, that lead to regulatory approval delays or failures. The present\u0000study aims to identify some challenges encountered by researchers or regulators during the development\u0000of novel cancer therapies.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000The present cross-sectional observational study used a mixed-method design methodology.\u0000The participants were selected via a non-random sampling method via self-selection and snowballing\u0000approach. A survey questionnaire was developed and circulated among the selected participants as a\u0000hard copy or email or a Google form. Open-ended and closed-ended questions were incorporated to\u0000identify the regulatory challenges faced during oncology drug development. The responses were collected\u0000from September 2021 to June 2022. These responses were then coded and themes were identified\u0000for the challenges.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000A total of 87 responses were obtained for the questionnaire among the individuals contacted.\u0000Seven themes were identified from the collated responses that depicted the challenges for the regulatory\u0000approval of anticancer drug products. The majority of responders (38.2%) suggested reduced\u0000approval time whereas endpoint selection and study design were considered as a challenge by 12.0%\u0000of responders each. Furthermore, 6.0% of responders admit that timely interaction with the regulators\u0000is also a challenge that delays approval. Many challenges also exist during the product development\u0000phase; hence, 12.0% of responders reported safety issues, and 22.0% of responders reported technical\u0000issues during manufacturing as the cause of regulatory failure. Moreover, 12.0% of responders suggested\u0000the need for improvements in regulatory guidelines for oncology drug development.\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000The survey indicates a lack of Indian guidelines for anticancer products, whereas limited\u0000guidance is available from other countries such as Europe or the United States. Thus, the survey\u0000points to the necessity for improvement in the regulatory guidelines and drug approval process to address\u0000the challenges unique to cancer drug development.\u0000","PeriodicalId":43754,"journal":{"name":"Current Cancer Therapy Reviews","volume":"23 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139446579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}