posted on 2018-07-09, 08:24authored bySara Charmsaz, Maria Prencipe, Maeve Kiely, Graham P. Pidgeon, Denis M. Collins
Conventional therapies for cancer such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy remain a
mainstay in treatment, but in many cases a targeted approach is lacking, and patients can be
vulnerable to drug resistance. In recent years, novel concepts have been emerging to improve
the traditional therapeutic options in cancers with poor survival outcomes. New therapeutic
strategies involving areas like energy metabolism and extracellular vesicles along with advances
in immunotherapy and nanotechnology are driving the next generation of cancer treatments.
The development of fields such as theranostics in nanomedicine is also opening new doors for targeted
drug delivery and nano-imaging. Here we discuss the use of innovative technologies presented at
the Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR) Annual Meeting, highlighting examples of where
new approaches may lead to promising new treatment options for a range of cancer types.