By Michael J. Haas
Senior Writer
Most inhibitors of NF-kappa B activation on the market and in
development target only the better known of two pathways. Rel-MD
Inc. thinks the lesser-known pathway actually plays a more important
role in disease and has chosen multiple myeloma to show proof of principle.
The five members of the NF-kB
family of proteins - also called REL proteins - can form multiple dimers,
including at least five that have known transcriptional activity. Their
activation can increase the expression of pro-growth and anti-apoptotic genes
in cancer, and increase the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in autoimmune
diseases.