Inhibition of Nonfunctional Ras.

ABSTRACT: Intuitively, functional states should be targeted; not nonfunctional ones. So why could drugging the inactive K-Ras4B^G12Cwork-but drugging the inactive kinase will likely not? The reason is the distinct oncogenic mechanisms. Kinase driver mutations work by stabilizing the active state and/or destabilizing the inactive state. Either way, oncogenic kinases are mostly in the active state. Ras driver mutations work by quelling its deactivation mechanisms, GTP hydrolysis, and nucleotide exchange. Covalent inhibitors that bind to the inactive GDP-bound K-Ras4B^G12C conformation can thus work. By contrast, in kinases, allosteric inhibitors work by altering the active-site conformation to favor orthosteric drugs. From the translational standpoint this distinction is vital: it

SUBMITTER: Nussinov R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7897307 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature