Is Selinisol a targeted therapy drug?

Selinexor is an anti-tumor drug with a unique mechanism. Although it is not a small molecule targeted drug that acts on mutated genes or specific receptors in the traditional sense, it is still classified as a new targeted therapy drug at the level of molecular mechanism. Its main target is the nuclear export protein XPO1 (also known as CRM1), which is up-regulated in a variety of malignant tumors and is responsible for transporting a variety of tumor suppressor proteins from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, thus weakening their anti-tumor functions. As the first approved selective nuclear export inhibitor (SINE), selinesol blocks the function of XPO1, causing tumor suppressor proteins such as p53, p21, and FOXO to re-accumulate in the nucleus and activate the apoptosis pathway, ultimately inducing cancer cell death.

Different from classic targeted therapy drugs that rely on gene mutations to screen for specific indications, such as EGFR inhibitors or ALK inhibitors, Selinisol acts on the ubiquitous nuclear-cytoplasmic transport system in tumor cells. This mechanism of action has wider adaptability and can therefore be used to treat a variety of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. The US FDA has approved it for the treatment of multiple myeloma and relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and does not require specific molecular marker screening, which is in sharp contrast to traditional targeted drugs.

Despite this, selinesol has a significant selective killing effect on tumor cells and has a relatively small impact on normal cells. It is still in line with the basic concept of targeted therapy drugs "precisely attacking the weaknesses of tumors". Therefore, it is often regarded as a new type of targeted drug in clinical practice and drug classification. Currently, researchers are also exploring its combination strategy with other treatment modalities, such as combining it with immunotherapy, proteasome inhibitors or chemotherapy drugs, to expand its indications and improve the treatment response rate.

Reference materials:https://www.selincro.com/