BioCentury
ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Rel-MD: Blocking two paths

Rel-MD exploiting alternative NF-kB pathway with Velcade for multiple myeloma

January 16, 2012 8:00 AM UTC

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...