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Kinesin motor proteins as targets for cancer therapy

Dennis Huszar1, Maria-Elena Theoclitou, Jeffrey Skolnik

  • 1Cancer Bioscience, AstraZeneca R&D Boston, 35 Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, MA 02451, USA.

Cancer Metastasis Reviews
|January 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Novel anti-mitotic drugs targeting mitotic kinesins offer a promising alternative to current therapies. These new agents aim for greater cancer cell selectivity and reduced side effects compared to existing treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Mitosis is a validated target for cancer therapy, with current drugs acting on spindle microtubules.
  • Approved anti-mitotic drugs can cause significant side effects, including neurotoxicity.
  • Microtubule-targeting agents may lead to drug resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore novel therapeutic strategies by targeting mitotic kinesins.
  • To develop more selective anti-mitotic drugs with improved side effect profiles.
  • To identify potential treatments that overcome resistance to existing therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Focus on drug discovery efforts targeting mitotic kinesins.
  • Investigate the spindle protein kinesin (KSP) as a primary target.
  • Clinical testing of novel kinesin inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • Mitotic kinesins represent a promising class of novel anti-mitotic drug targets.
  • Kinesin inhibitors offer potential for improved selectivity and reduced toxicity.
  • Compounds targeting KSP are advancing through clinical trials.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting mitotic kinesins provides a new avenue for cancer therapy development.
  • Kinesin inhibitors may offer a more effective and safer alternative to microtubule agents.
  • Further research and clinical evaluation of kinesin inhibitors are warranted.

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