Therapeutic opportunities to control tumor cell cycles

RESUMEN

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ABSTRACT

Tumor cell proliferation is frequently associated togenetic or epigenetic alterations in key cell cycleregulators. Most human tumors deregulate thispathway to sustain proliferation with independenceof external mitogenic factors. In addition, the alterationof cell cycle proteins may confer genomic instabilitythat results in additional mutations inthese tumor cells. The frequent alteration of the cellcycle in tumor cells has launched the identificationfor critical cell cycle regulators as anticancer targets.The inhibition of some cell cycle kinases suchas cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) or the Auroraand Polo mitotic kinases is currently under study inseveral preclinical and clinical trials. Similarly, theclinical success of microtubule poisons such as taxolhas promoted new applied research in mitosisregulation. Recent investigations have suggestednew targets of interest including additional kinases,phosphatases and other mitotic regulators such asmicrotubule motor proteins (kinesins). Currrent researchin this area will undoubtedly result in newand improved targeted therapies for cancer treatment