Kinases, key drivers of malignant transformation and major contributors to a variety of other human pathologies, have emerged as some of the most exciting targets in drug discovery. However, with initial well documented success stories came realization that many hurdles lie in the path of successful development of new drugs, targeting kinase signaling. GTC’s 2nd Protein Kinases & Drug Design Conference, to be held in October 23~25, 2013, San Diego, CA, will bring together speakers representing world leading academic centers and pharmaceutical companies to discuss how to overcome the many hurdles and answer exciting key questions. Experts will also share their positive and negative experiences on how predictive preclinical models are with clinical efficacy and toxicology.
Key Questions to be Discussed:
- What are the best approaches to identify key kinases contributing to neurodegenerative diseases and major forms of human cancer from leukemias and breast cancer to malignant gliomas?
- How do different factors, including genetic background, interactions with stroma, “stemness” of the tumor cells contribute to tumor responses to kinase inhibitors?
- What are the best computational, chemical biology and structural biology approaches to de novo kinase drug design, including a “holy grail” of kinase drug discovery – non-ATP competitive inhibitors?
- What is the right balance between inhibitor selectivity and activity?
- Are covalent inhibitors a “no-no” in drug discovery?
- What have we learned from the use of the latest generation of inhibitors, targeting many of the hottest pathways (PI3K, Her2, CDKs, JNK) in pre-clinical models and clinical trials?
- How can we predict pharmacological properties of new kinase inhibitors?
Preliminary Sessions for 2013 Agenda: