Health / Medical Topics |
Vismodegib
Pronunciation
Definition 1
A drug used to treat advanced basal cell carcinoma that has spread to other parts of the body or has come back after surgery. It is also used in patients who cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Vismodegib blocks a type of protein involved in tissue growth and repair and may block the growth of cancer cells. It is a type of Hedgehog signaling pathway antagonist. Also called Erivedge and GDC-0449. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
An orally bioavailable small molecule with potential antineoplastic activity. Hedgehog antagonist GDC-0449 targets the Hedgehog signaling pathway, blocking the activities of the Hedgehog-ligand cell surface receptors PTCH and/or SMO and suppressing Hedgehog signaling. The Hedgehog signaling pathway plays an important role in tissue growth and repair; aberrant constitutive activation of Hedgehog pathway signaling and uncontrolled cellular proliferation may be associated with mutations in the Hedgehog-ligand cell surface receptors PTCH and SMO. (NCI Thesaurus)
Definition 3
A substance being studied in the treatment of cancer. It blocks a type of protein involved in tissue growth and repair and may block the growth of cancer cells. It is a type of Hedgehog signaling pathway antagonist. (NCI Dictionary)