Inflammation and Immunology (Track)  ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES OF TARGETING SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAYS FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION Brydon Lawrence Bennett Department Inflammation Research, Institution Celgene Details Signal transduction is the integrated molecular network that relays extracellular signals to effector sites in the cell. This ability of a cell to change phenotype in response to the changing physical and chemical environment is central to the adaptability of biological systems that regulate life and death. Abnormal, excessive or prolonged signaling may lead to aberrant or adverse responses that contribute to pathophysiology and disease. Signal transduction pathways therefore provide intriguing but complex and challenging opportunities to manipulate a cell's response and thereby modify disease outcomes. We will review a number of diverse case studies where small molecule modulators alter cell signaling to provide significant clinical benefit. |