Volume 23 Issue 8, August 2024

Small molecules that block a key protein–protein interaction could change the treatment landscape for many patients with acute leukaemias.

Reactive oxygen species are essential molecules that are generated and eliminated through complex balanced mechanisms. Increased reactive oxygen species levels have a role in tumour development, and targeting reactive oxygen species and their regulatory machineries is a promising therapeutic strategy. This Review discusses recent research developments in the field, their implications for cancer drug discovery, as well as emerging concepts and future perspectives.

In situ cancer vaccines generate tumour-specific T cell responses and hold promise for the treatment of solid tumours. This Review discusses drug delivery technologies such as lipid nanoparticles, hydrogels and scaffolds that are being developed to boost the antitumour immune effects of several types of in situ cancer vaccine.

Deeper pharmacological characterization of hit and lead compounds is being enabled by novel assays to characterize target behaviour as well as by advances in structural biology. This article discusses key factors in pharmacological characterization in the context of G protein-coupled receptors as a target class, highlighting opportunities to identify drug candidates with the potential to address limitations of current therapies and to increase the probability of them succeeding in clinical trials.