Progress in Small Molecule Therapeutics for the Treatment of Retinoblastoma

Mini Rev Med Chem. 2016;16(6):430-54. doi: 10.2174/1389557515666150722100610.

Abstract

While mortality is low for intraocular retinoblastoma patients in the developed world who receive aggressive multimodal therapy, partial or full loss of vision occurs in approximately 50% of patients with advanced bilateral retinoblastoma. Therapies that preserve vision and reduce late effects are needed. Because clinical trials for retinoblastoma are difficult due to the young age of the patient population and relative rarity of the disease, robust preclinical testing of new therapies is critical. The last decade has seen advances towards identifying new therapies including the development of animal models of retinoblastoma for preclinical testing, progress in local drug delivery to reach intraocular targets, and improved understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms that give rise to retinoblastoma. This review discusses advances in these areas, with a focus on discovery and development of small molecules for the treatment of retinoblastoma, including novel targeted therapeutics such as inhibitors of the MDMX-p53 interaction (nutlin-3a), histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Discovery* / methods
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Imidazoles / metabolism
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Piperazines / metabolism
  • Protein Interaction Maps / drug effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / metabolism
  • Retina / drug effects*
  • Retina / metabolism
  • Retina / pathology
  • Retinal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Retinal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Retinal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Retinoblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Retinoblastoma / metabolism
  • Retinoblastoma / pathology
  • Small Molecule Libraries / administration & dosage
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacokinetics
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology
  • Small Molecule Libraries / therapeutic use*
  • Syk Kinase
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Imidazoles
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Piperazines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • nutlin 3
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • SYK protein, human
  • Syk Kinase