Resistance to RET targeted therapy in Thyroid Cancer: Molecular basis and overcoming strategies.

Thyroid cancer is the most frequently diagnosed endocrine malignancy, with an increasing incidence over the last decades. The recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis of thyroid cancer have led to a better therapeutic approach of these tumors. This has allowed the development and approval of several drugs during the past decade. The rearranged during transfection [RET] protooncogene encodes a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase, which is activated by chromosomal rearrangements or point mutations in multiple malignancies, including thyroid cancer. Selective RET inhibitors have proved their value in the treatment algorithm in molecularly selected patients with significantly high response rates and duration of response. Notwithstanding, there are patients who experiment rapid progression or tumor recurrence after an early response to those targeted therapies, which suggest the existence of primary and acquired mechanisms of resistance that have been largely unknown to date. In the present review, we attempt to provide a comprehensive analysis of the most relevant mechanisms of resistance to RET inhibitors which could help in the development of next generation MKI and RET inhibitors, along with combination strategies with different targeted therapies that could potentially overcome these resistances.

Molecular Mechanisms of Resistance to Immunotherapy and Antiangiogenic Treatments in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histological subtype arising from renal cell carcinomas. This tumor is characterized by a predominant angiogenic and immunogenic microenvironment that interplay with stromal, immune cells, and tumoral cells. Despite the obscure prognosis traditionally related to this entity, strategies including angiogenesis inhibition with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), as well as the enhancement of the immune system with the inhibition of immune checkpoint proteins, such as PD-1/PDL-1 and CTLA-4, have revolutionized the treatment landscape. This approach has achieved a substantial improvement in life expectancy and quality of life from patients with advanced ccRCC. Unfortunately, not all patients benefit from this success as most patients will finally progress to these therapies and, even worse, approximately 5 to 30% of patients will primarily progress. In the last few years, preclinical and clinical research have been conducted to decode the biological basis underlying the resistance mechanisms regarding angiogenic and immune-based therapy. In this review, we summarize the insights of these molecular alterations to understand the resistance pathways related to the treatment with TKI and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Moreover, we include additional information on novel approaches that are currently under research to overcome these resistance alterations in preclinical studies and early phase clinical trials.

Novel Tyrosine Kinase Targets in Urothelial Carcinoma.

Urothelial carcinoma represents one of the most prevalent types of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is expected to grow. Although the treatment of the advanced disease was based on chemotherapy for decades, the developments of different therapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, antibody drug conjugates and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are revolutionizing the therapeutic landscape of this tumor. This development coincides with the increasing knowledge of the pathogenesis and genetic alterations in urothelial carcinoma, from the non-muscle invasive setting to the metastatic one. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the different tyrosine kinase targets and their roles in the therapeutic scene of urothelial carcinoma.