Mini-review: bmx kinase inhibitors for cancer therapy

Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2013 Sep;8(3):228-38. doi: 10.2174/15748928113089990043.

Abstract

Kinase inhibitors are among the fastest growing class of anti-cancer therapies. One family of kinases that has recently gained attention as a target for treating malignant disorders is the Tec kinase family. Evidence has been published that one member of this family; the Bmx kinase, may play a role in the pathogenesis of glioblastoma, prostate, breast and lung cancer. Bmx has also shown potential as an anti-vascular therapy in combination with radiation or as a sensitizer to chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, several companies such as Pharmacyclics, Avila Therapeutics, Merck and Co., Metaproteomics, IRM, and Moerae Matrix have developed compounds or peptides that function as Bmx kinase inhibitors. These companies have subsequently been issued patents for these inhibitors. Additionally, it has been shown that current clinical stage EGFR inhibitors can irreversibly inhibit Bmx, suggesting these compounds might be rapidly moved to clinical trials for other malignancies. This review will discuss current patents issued since 2009 that contain data specifically on inhibition of the Bmx kinase, and will also discuss the scientific literature that suggests their potential application as therapeutics in the treatment of the aforementioned malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Design*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Patents as Topic
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • BMX protein, human
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases