Targeting Protein Kinases for Cancer Therapy

An expert guide to targeting protein kinases in cancer therapy

Research has shown that protein kinases can instigate the formation and spread of cancer when they transmit faulty signals inside cells. Because of this fact, pharmaceutical scientists have targeted kinases for intensive study, and have been working to develop medicinal roadblocks to sever their malignant means of communication.

Complete with full-color presentations, Targeting Protein Kinases for Cancer Therapy defines the structural features of protein kinases and examines their cellular functions. Combining kinase biology with chemistry and pharmacology applications, this book enlists emerging data to drive the discovery of new cancer-fighting drugs. Valuable information includes:

• Comprehensive overviews of the major kinase families involved in oncology, integrating protein structure and function, and providing important tools to assist pharmaceutical researchers to understand and work in this dynamic area of cancer drug research

• Focus on small molecule inhibitors as well as other therapeutic modalities

• Discussion of kinase inhibitors that have entered clinical trials for the treatment of cancer, with an emphasis on molecules that have progressed to late stage clinical trials and, in a few cases, to market

Providing a platform for further study, this important work reviews both the successes and challenges of kinase inhibitor therapy, and provides insight into future directions in the war against cancer.

DAVID J. MATTHEWS is Executive Director of Oncology Discovery at Exelixis, where he is responsible for cancer drug discovery. For more than fifteen years, Dr. Matthews has been involved in drug discovery projects in industry, with particular focus on small molecule inhibitors. He has twenty scientific publications and multiple patents to his credit.

MARY E. GERRITSEN is Vice President of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at Exelixis, where she is in charge of cell-based screening in preclinical research and of biomarker studies for clinical development compounds in Phase I and II studies. Her prior industry experience includes positions at Genentech, Bayer and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. She has authored more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles and twenty-six book chapters and is an inventor on forty-two issued patents.