Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Dec 3:611:217362.
doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217362. Online ahead of print.

Emerging targets in gastric and pancreatic cancer: Focus on claudin 18.2

Alireza Tojjari  1 , Yassine Alami Idrissi  2 , Anwaar Saeed  3
Affiliations
Review

Emerging targets in gastric and pancreatic cancer: Focus on claudin 18.2

Alireza Tojjari et al. Cancer Lett. .

Abstract

Recently, the molecular landscape of gastric and pancreatic cancers has advanced with Claudin 18.2 (CLDN18.2) emerging as a promising therapeutic target. Claudin 18.2, a tight junction protein, is selectively expressed in cancer cells and minimally in normal tissues, making it an attractive candidate for targeted therapy. Therapies like monoclonal antibodies (e.g., zolbetuximab), bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates have shown significant potential in improving clinical outcomes. Early-phase clinical trials demonstrate robust antitumor activity, particularly in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens. However, challenges such as patient selection, resistance mechanisms, and toxicity management remain critical. This review highlights the therapeutic landscape, clinical advancements, and future directions of targeting Claudin 18.2 in gastric and pancreatic cancer treatment.

Keywords: Antibody-drug conjugates; Bispecific antibodies; CART cell; Claudin 18.2; Gastric cancer; Monoclonal antibodies; Pancreatic cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Anwaar Saeed reports research grants (to institution) from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Clovis, Exelixis, Actuate Therapeutics, Incyte Corporation, Daiichi Sankyo, Five Prime Therapeutics, Amgen, Innovent Biologics, Dragonfly Therapeutics, KAHR Medical, BioNtech, and advisory board fees from Merck, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Exelixis, Taiho, and Pfizer. The remaining authors have no relevant financial interests to disclose.