Validation of a GEF Inhibitor in Murine Models of Major Osteolytic Diseases
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Healthy bones are strong, but forming healthy bones requires a delicate balance between bone-building osteoblasts and bone-degrading osteoclasts. If the action of osteoclasts prevails and bone resorption exceeds bone deposition, bone-diminishing diseases such as osteoporosis occur. The answer seems simple: target osteoclasts as the enemy. But drugs currently available to rein in excessive osteoclast activity
- Published in Emerging Targets
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Nanoparticles Target Cancer’s Sweet Spot
Thursday, 05 February 2015
Nearly half a century ago it was discovered that the overexpression of sialic acid sugars on the surface of cancer cells aided their ability to metastasize, and thus, sialic acid sugars became a potential therapeutic target. Recent advances in glycobiology and cancer research have helped to elucidate the exact roles sialic acid sugars play in
- Published in Emerging Targets
Targeting Oncogenic Ras: Hope on the Horizon
Friday, 22 August 2014
Mutations in the small GTPase K-Ras are one of the most common known molecular drivers of cancer; approximately 30% of all human cancers contain the oncogenic mutant of K-Ras. Tumors containing oncogenic K-Ras are generally less responsive to therapies than other biological subtypes and consequently, patients with these tumors tend to have poorer outcomes. Directly
- Published in Emerging Targets
Overcoming the Blood-Brain Barrier: Increasing Access for Therapeutic Agents
Tuesday, 08 July 2014
The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a layer of endothelial cells lining the blood vessels leading to the brain, is one of the brain’s greatest assets. Responsible for determining what molecules are allowed to cross from the bloodstream into the brain, the BBB protects the brain from the invasion of infectious and toxic agents. However, this barrier
- Published in Emerging Targets
Targeting Host Kinases for Hepatitis C Treatment
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Traditionally, treatment of viruses has focused on targeting the viral proteins, however recent research has given rise to the idea of treating viruses by targeting host factors. The most advanced of these for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is Alispovir, currently in Phase III clinical trials, which inhibits the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity of cyclophilin A. Building
- Published in Emerging Targets
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors: Increasing Immunity and Improving Antitumor Therapies
Thursday, 05 June 2014
A group of researchers led by Kimberly A. Noonan and Ivan Borrello of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated the success of a novel method to combat immune suppression and improve antitumor therapies. The research, published in Cancer Immunology Research, focuses on targeting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) to overcome
- Published in Emerging Targets
H2O2 Switcheroo
Friday, 02 May 2014
A group of researchers at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey have discovered a new role for the long-studied enzyme superoxide dismutase (Sod1). The researchers, led by Dr. Steven Zheng, show that Sod1, previously known as a key player in the reduction of superoxide byproducts, also plays a role in controlling the oxidative stress response
- Published in Emerging Targets
A New Twist to Metastatic Spread
Friday, 18 April 2014
A team of researchers led by Andrew J. Ewald at Johns Hopkins University have unearthed a surprising twist in the process of epithelial cell dissemination. A critical step in metastatic spread, epithelial cell dissemination has been linked to the loss or repression of the intercellular adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Found on the surface of most epithelial
- Published in Emerging Targets
The Power of PKM2
Thursday, 10 April 2014
In recent years pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2) has emerged as an increasingly attractive oncogenic target; its unique ability to function as both a pyruvate kinase and a protein kinase make it a key player in both abnormal metabolism and sustained proliferation. However, to date, little light has been shed on the molecular mechanism responsible
- Published in Emerging Targets
FAK Inhibitors: Thwarting Tumor Growth and Curbing Metastasis
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is a compelling cancer target as it both aids tumor growth and promotes metastasis. However, to date, little has been known about the molecular mechanisms behind these relationships. In a new study, published in the January issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, researchers in David Schlaepfer’s lab at the University
- Published in Emerging Targets
