Table 2.
Active interventional clinical trials targeting neuron–tumor interactions.
| Objective | Anticancer Agent | Mechanism of Action | Phase | Tumor Targeted | Route of Administration | Trial ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assess the impact of bethanechol therapy on tumor activity | Bethanechol | Nonselective muscarinic activation | 1 | Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma | Oral | NCT03572283 |
| Identify a safe and pharmacologically active dose and regimen for VMD-928 monotherapy | VMD-928 | TrkA inhibition | 1 | Advanced solid tumors or lymphomas not responsive to available therapies * | Oral | NCT03556228 |
| Assess the safety and tolerability of entrectinib therapy | Entrectinib (RXDX-101) | TrkA, TrkB, TrkC, ROS1, ALK inhibition | 1 | Any locally advanced or metastatic cancer confirmed to be positive for NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3, ROS1, or ALK alterations | Oral | NCT02097810 |
| Measure therapeutic response in patients taking entrectinib | Entrectinib (RXDX-101) | TrkA, TrkB, TrkC, ROS1, ALK inhibition | 2 | Solid tumors that harbor a NTRK1/2/3, ROS1, or ALK gene fusion † | Oral | NCT02568267 |
| Determine the efficacy of carvedilol therapy | Carvedilol | Beta blockade | 2 | Prostate adenocarcinoma | Oral | NCT02944201 |
| Evaluate ADβR 2/PKA/BAD signal changes following treatment | Propranolol | Beta blockade | 2 | Prostate carcinoma | Oral | NCT03152786 |
| Evaluate the effects of propranolol and etodolac therapy on recurrence and biomarker expression | Propranolol and etodolac | Beta blockade and COX2 inhibition | 2 | Pancreatic cancers | Oral | NCT03838029 |
| Obtain the data needed to calculate sample size for a larger controlled trial | Botulinum toxin | Acetylcholine release inhibition | 2 | Stomach cancer | Injection by gastroscopy | NCT01822210 |
* These include solid tumors, lymphomas, thymic carcinomas, thymomas, mesotheliomas, head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, ovarian cancers, hepatocellular carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, esophageal cancers, adenoid cystic carcinomas, prostate cancers, cervical cancers, gastric cancers, melanomas, acute myeloid leukemias, pancreatic carcinomas, and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. † These include breast cancers, cholangiocarcinomas, colorectal cancers, head and neck neoplasms, large-cell lymphomas, anaplastic lymphomas, melanomas, neuroendocrine tumors, non-small cell lung cancers, ovarian cancers, pancreatic cancers, papillary thyroid cancers, primary brain tumors, renal cell carcinomas, sarcomas, salivary gland cancers, and adult solid tumors.