BioCentury
ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms

Making TRAIL

February 28, 2013 8:00 AM UTC

Researchers at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center have identified a small molecule inducer of TRAIL expression that has antitumor effects in multiple mouse models.1 Oncoceutics Inc. has licensed the findings and plans to advance the compound into the clinic this year.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is an immune cytokine that induces apoptosis by binding tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 10a (TNFRSF10A; DR4; TRAILR1; CD261) and DR5 (TNFRSF10B; TRAILR2; CD262), two receptors expressed on the surface of tumor cells...