Scripps: Scientists Design Potent Therapeutic ‘Warheads’ That Target Cancer Cells

In a pair of related studies, chemists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified and designed dozens of molecular “warheads” that not only can detect a key biomarker of cancer, but also could be developed into a potent new class of drug candidates for a range of diseases.

A number of these molecules are already “hidden” in drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), raising the possibility that these widely used pharmaceuticals could be made even more effective using more potent/selective covalent inhibitors or “warheads.”