Elucidating Signaling Pathways

Despite discouraging predictions and statistics for cancer diagnoses and deaths, researchers have developed a new cancer therapeutic agent, the small-molecule kinase inhibitor. Small-molecule kinase inhibitors block kinase signaling and are rapidly moving from investigational status to FDA trials and onto pharmacy and infusion room shelves. Moreover, these therapeutics represent exciting progress in translation of research laboratory discoveries into life-saving drugs. The specificity of these drugs for their target molecules means they are less toxic than conventional chemotherapy, reducing the side effects suffered with conventional chemotherapeutic agents.