Hugo Albrecht
University of South Australia, Australia
Title: Towards pharmacological validation of MAP kinase interacting kinases (MNKs) as anti-cancer drug targets
Biography
Biography: Hugo Albrecht
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and according to WHO estimates the number of new cases will increase by 70% over the next 20 years. New treatments are urgently needed. The MAP kinase interacting kinases (Mnks) have been validated as potential cancer targets using cell biology and animal models. Inhibition of Mnk activity can effectively block oncogenic transformation and tumor development. Importantly while Mnk activation is essential for tumourigenesis it is not required for normal tissue development. Pharmacological inhibition of Mnks could therefore provide a major advance in treatment strategies, a nontoxic and effective anti-cancer therapeutic agent. But to date the lack of specific Mnk inhibitors has confounded pharmacological target validation and clinical development. However, we have recently identified several potent Mnk inhibitors. In this presentation we discuss our strategy to develop specific Mnk inhibitors including the impact of these on eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), tumor cell migration and how they might be used to improve cancer treatment.
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