FAK Inhibitors

Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), also known as PTK2 protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2), is a focal adhesion kinase that promotes cellular adhesion and spreading and is involved in apoptosis. Aside from a few types of red blood cells, most cells express FAK. Overexpression of FAK can lead to inhibition of apoptosis and an increase in metastatic tumors. Several preclinical and some clinical trials have confirmed the ability of FAK inhibitors to decrease tumor growth and metastasis. A variety of FAK inhibitors have been developed with early efforts focusing on transfection of FAK with a viral vector that decreased FAK expression. Due to safety concerns involving viral vectors, recent efforts have focused on finding small-molecule inhibitors to FAK, several of which are already available for use.

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