Hitting the right spot: Mechanism of action of OPB-31121, a novel and potent inhibitor of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3).

ABSTRACT: STAT3 is a key element in many oncogenic pathways and, like other transcription factors, is an attractive target for development of novel anticancer drugs. However, interfering with STAT3 functions has been a difficult task and very few small molecule inhibitors have made their way to the clinic. OPB-31121, an anticancer compound currently in clinical trials, has been reported to affect STAT3 signaling, although its mechanism of action has not been unequivocally demonstrated. In this study, we used a combined computational and experimental approach to investigate the molecular target and the mode of interaction of OPB-31121 with STAT3. In parallel, similar studies were performed with known STAT3 inhibitors (STAT3i) to validate our approach. Computational docking and molecular dynamics simu

SUBMITTER: Brambilla L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5528765 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature