Protein Kinase Inhibitors
Protein kinases are often categorized based on the amino acid residues they phosphorylate: Serine/Threonine kinases (e.g. MAP Kinsases), Tyrosine Kinases (the Insulin Receptor), Histidine Kinases (common in Prokaryotes).
Protein kinases are one of the most important categories of targets in oncology and drug discovery in today's research because of their pivotal roles in regulating cellular growth and survival. Misregulated kinase activity can often be the root cause of a disease for example, cancer, where kinases regulate many aspects that control cell proliferation, migration and death. Drugs that inhibit specific kinases are being developed and some are currently in clinical use, including Gleevec (Imatinib) and Iressa (Gefitinib). In fact 14 small molecule Protein kinase Inhibitors ("nibs") have been approved by the FDA for treatment of various types of cancers and many other candidates are in various stages of clinical trials. BioVision offers 200 Protein Kinase Inhibitors as part of its product portfolio. BioVision also manufactures and markets sets of protein kinase inhibitors specific for a certain cellular pathway.