Protein kinase inhibitors

Abstract

Since protein kinases have been found to be implicated in many diseases, first of all malignancies, they are considered as promising therapeutic targets. Many protein kinase inhibitors have been designed by now. These molecules have a low molecular weight and most of them bind to protein kinases competing with ATP for the ATP-binding site. Some protein kinase inhibitors currently undergo clinical trials or have already been successfully introduced into treatment as exemplified by Bcr-Abl, c-kit and PDGFR inhibitor imatinib mesylate (Gleevec), flavopiridol and roscovitine, inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases, or erlotinib and gefitinib inhibiting EGFR. Discovery of these molecules seems to begin a new era in medicine, especially oncology. Targeting protein kinases represents a promising approach and gives us new hopes of effective non-invasive cancer treatment.