Chk’ing p53-deficient breast cancers

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Abstract

Loss or functional impairment of p53 occurs in many human cancers, and its absence is often associated with a poor response to conventional chemotherapy. Hence, much effort is currently devoted to developing novel treatments for p53-deficient malignancies. One approach is to target pathways that are selectively required for the survival of p53-deficient cancer cells, thus exploiting a synthetic lethal interaction. Previous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) pathway in p53-deficient cells can induce such a synthetic lethal outcome. In this issue of the JCI, Ma et al. take these findings a step closer to the clinic by demonstrating that highly specific inhibitors of Chk1 synergize with chemotherapy to stem progression of p53-deficient triple-negative breast cancers in a xenotransplant model of this disease. Together with other recent studies, this report highlights the promise of ATR and Chk1 inhibitors in targeted cancer treatment.

Authors

David W. Schoppy, Eric J. Brown