Abstract

The incidence and mortality of malignant tumors are on the rise, which has become the second leading cause of death in the world. At present, anti-tumor drugs are one of the most common methods for treating cancer. In recent years, with the in-depth study of tumor biology and related disciplines, it has been gradually discovered that the essence of cell carcinogenesis is the infinite proliferation of cells caused by the disorder of cell signal transduction pathways, followed by a major shift in the concept of anti-tumor drugs research and development. The focus of research and development is shifting from traditional cytotoxic drugs to a new generation of anti-tumor drugs targeted at abnormal signaling system targets in tumor cells. In this review, we summarize the targets of anti-tumor drugs and analyse the molecular mechanisms of their effects, which lay a foundation for subsequent treatment, research and development.

Keywords: Anti-tumor drug targets, tyrosine kinase, immune checkpoints, cell cycle, histone deacetylase inhibitor, ubiquitin proteasome system, therapeutic strategies, microRNAs.