Gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) are targeted treatments that selectively inhibit a protein called gamma secretase and reduce activation of a pathway that is believed to play a role in the growth of desmoid tumors. These medical therapies are pills that can be taken orally at home. GSIs were originally developed as Alzheimer’s therapies, but have been repurposed as anticancer agents given their inhibition of specific biological processes that are altered in cancer.
Research has shown that gamma-secretase inhibitors have shown benefit in desmoid tumors by shrinking or slowing down the growth and improving patient’s symptoms. As with all therapies, gamma secretase inhibitors can also cause side effects that can vary from person to person.