Fox Chase researchers uncover activation signal for Aurora-A oncogene
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 08:43
in Health & Medicine
Aurora-A kinase (AurA) is an enzyme that is hyperactive in many cancers and drives tumour cell proliferation. Several AurA inhibitors are currently being tested in clinical trials to see if they slow tumour growth. Now, researchers in the Developmental Therapeutics Program at Fox Chase Cancer Centre have identified an activation signal for AurA. They report in the September 7 issue of Nature Communications that a quick increase in the calcium concentration in a cell rapidly triggers AurA kinase activity. The discovery may lead to drug combinations that had not previously been considered, and it may provide new insights into how the cell division cycle is timed...