Signaling pathways as drug targets in cancer

Cell proliferation is an essential component of our metabolism. However, when this control is lost even in a single cell, there occurs a series of uncontrolled cell divisions. This sets up the starting point of the process known as tumorigenesis. For the process to evolve into a solid tumor, it requires several other mechanisms of the cell to become deregulated, including cell cycle checkpoint controls, repair and apoptotic mechanisms. Then the process proceeds further on by attraction of blood vessels to tumor location, a process which is known as angiogenesis. If tumor turns out to be a malign one, the next step will be the entry of one of the tumor cells into blood stream and spread of cancer to another site in the body, which is known as metastasis.