The c-MET (mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor)
receptor tyrosine kinase is an exciting novel
drug target in view of its key role in
oncogenesis, as well as its association with disease prognosis in a number of
malignancies. Several drugs targeting c-MET are currently showing promise in clinical trials and will hopefully validate positive observations from preclinical studies. The potential efficacy of these different therapeutic agents is expected to be influenced by the mechanism of aberrant
hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-MET signaling pathway activation in a particular
cancer, but presents a promising strategy for
cancer treatment either as a single agent or as part of a combination therapeutic approach. However, there is an ongoing need to improve and accelerate the transition of preclinical research into improved therapeutic strategies for patients with
cancer. The main challenges facing the development of HGF/c-MET-targeted agents for
cancer treatment include the discovery of rationally designed anticancer drugs and combination strategies, as well as the validation of predictive
biomarkers. This paper discusses these issues, with a particular focus on future directions in the evaluation of c-MET-driven
malignancies.