BioCentury
ARTICLE | Cover Story

Kinase convergence on eIF4F

September 11, 2014 7:00 AM UTC

Researchers in France have shown that resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors in melanoma and possibly other cancers can be driven by pathways that converge on the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F complex.1 The findings suggest developing inhibitors of the complex in combination with marketed kinase inhibitor drugs could help circumvent resistance.

For the few biotechs already developing cancer compounds that disrupt eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F (eIF4F), such as Egenix Inc. and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., the reported data suggest their candidates could have broader utility than previously realized...