The study concentrated on the direct activation of the human checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2), and showed that this caused the death of cancer cells independently of chemotherapy.
Previously, researchers had hypothesized that the inhibition of checkpoints enhanced the effects of chemotherapy on cancer cells. However, this study suggests that the activation of checkpoint mechanisms independently and directly leads to death and ageing of cancer cells.
“We are excited about these results, as they clearly support the exploration of direct checkpoint activation as a novel strategy in the discovery and development of targeted cancer therapeutics,” said Dr Stephen Hill, president and CEO of Arqule.
“These data provide additional scientific validation of checkpoint activation, which is the central focus of the Company’s proprietary approach to oncology drug discovery and the basis for the ongoing clinical testing of ARQ 501, our partnered program with Roche.”