Small molecule inhibitors of a key cancer cell signaling pathway cause hematologic cancer cell death, but have low toxicity towards healthy cells.

Hematologic malignancies begin in blood-forming tissue, like the bone marrow or in the cells of the immune system. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia were the 7th and 10th most diagnosed cancers in the US, respectively. New therapeutics for relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies are needed as currently, there is no clinical standard of care for relapse of every type of hematologic malignancy. 

The Robertson group has developed a small molecule therapeutic for hematologic malignancies that inhibit a key cancer cell signaling pathway, causing cell death. This small molecule therapeutic has increased inhibitory action on cancer cells and decreased toxicity to healthy cells as compared to existing treatments. This results in a more specific mechanism of action that reduces the incidence of side effects such as nausea, fever, chills, and anorexia. The molecules are expected to be applicable to a broad range of hematologic malignancies.  

• Enhanced efficiency: 90% of cancer cells are inhibited post-treatment
• Decreased toxicity to healthy cells
• Decreased incidence of adverse events such as nausea, fever, chills, anorexia

• Treatment of primary hematologic malignancies
• Treatment of relapsed and refractory hematologic malignancies