Oncology Drug Discovery Assays and Products

The primary methods for treating cancer are drug therapy, surgical procedure, radiation, and biotherapy. Chemotherapy, which uses chemical medications to either kill tumor cells or stop them from growing and proliferating, was once the only technique of cancer drug therapy. From broad-spectrum cytotoxic medications to tailored drugs, there has been a significant shift in cancer treatment during the past 20 years. Targeted medications have a higher potency and lower toxicity than conventional chemotherapy drugs because they can directly target cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.

Creative Biolabs offers oncology related tools to help our clients accelerate drug discovery and development projects:

• Oncology Cell Lines
• Membrane Protein Tools

Oncology Targets Classification

• Kinases

An enzyme called protein kinase facilitates the transfer of the γ-phosphate group from ATP to protein residues that have hydroxyl groups. It plays a significant part in cell division, growth, and proliferation. Protein kinase dysregulation has been linked to a number of illnesses, most notably cancer. The most extensively researched tumor therapy targets are protein kinases.

• Epigenetic

A subfield of genetics called epigenetics investigates heritable variations in gene expression that don't affect the nucleotide sequence of genes. Numerous chemical altering enzymes and recognition proteins, sometimes known as "writers," "erasers," and "readers," are absolutely responsible for controlling it. A number of diseases, including cancer, immunological disorders, and several uncommon diseases, are also tightly correlated with abnormal epigenetic control. Only a small number of epigenetic medications are now licensed for clinical usage, despite the fact that many epigenetic regulatory proteins have been discovered as potential disease targets.

Fig.1 Commonly altered epigenetic regulatory proteins implicated in cancer. (Zhong, 2021)

• BCL-2

More than 20 proteins make up the B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) family, which regulates the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Based on their structure and function, these proteins are divided into three subfamilies: anti-apoptotic proteins, pro-apoptotic proteins, and cell death mediators. The interaction of the pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the BCL-2 protein family controls the apoptotic state of cells. Malignant tumors frequently exhibit dysregulation of the apoptosis pathway, particularly hematologic malignancies. BCL-2 was initially identified as a cellular apoptosis inhibitor, and a deeper comprehension of this target encourages the creation and use of BCL-2 inhibitors in the treatment of cancer.

• Hedgehog pathway

The highly conserved hedgehog (HH) signaling system is crucial for embryonic development and tissue repair. Through a number of mechanisms, including HH ligand overexpression and PTCH1 or SMO mutations, HH signaling can be inappropriately stimulated. The oncogenesis and progression of a range of malignancies, including solid carcinomas and hematological tumors, as well as the self-renewal of cancer stem cells, have been linked to abnormal activation of the HH pathway, according to mounting evidence (CSCs). As a result, the HH route has become a popular target for cancer treatment.

Fig.2 Canonical SMO-dependent hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway. (Zhong, 2021)

Reference

1. Zhong, L.; et al. Small molecules in targeted cancer therapy: Advances, challenges, and future perspectives. Signal transduction and targeted therapy. 2021, 6(1): 1-48.