Receptors for Cancer Treatment Research

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the involvement of receptors in tumorigenesis of various types of cancer may oﬀer targets for the development of new oncology treatments.

Specific receptors that have shown to be promising therapeutic targets for drug discovery in oncology research include:

Our receptor specific assays are cell-based reporter assay systems. They feature engineered receptor-specific reporter cells prepared using our unique CryoMite™ process. Once thawed, reporter cells are ready for immediate use. Test compounds can be screened for agonist or antagonist activities against receptors.

INDIGO Biosciences works closely with clients to provide the appropriate reporter specific assays for their cancer research. To empower confident decision-making throughout the discovery process, our technology generates clear single receptor or full-panel screening results. Employing a luminescence-based method and our proprietary CryoMite™ preservation process, we provide reproducible results lot-to-lot about the efficacy, potency, and selectivity of your compounds, plus comprehensive lab reports that include helpful graphics, summaries, and insights.

Learn more about INDIGO Biosciences’ Assay Kit Platforms & Formats

Nuclear receptors have long been targets in oncology research and the role of dysregulated nuclear receptor mediated signaling pathways in tumorigenesis has been well documented in a variety of cancers. Small molecule drugs that modulate nuclear receptors have proven to be effective therapeutic targets, such as with antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR) in patients with prostate cancer or the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in patients with ERα positive breast cancer. Nuclear receptors also play critical roles in the signaling pathways for inflammation and immunity and these pathways have been widely implicated in oncogenesis and may be potent therapeutic avenue for new cancer treatments.

Growth factor receptors are important targets in oncology because mutations that lead to constitutive activation of these signal pathways result in the progression of various types of cancers. Overexpression of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), which include the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) family, among others, have been found in many tumors. Mutations in serine/threonine-specific protein kinase receptors such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβR) have also been linked to growth of many tumors due to defects in the cellular growth inhibition response to TGFβ. As discovery research continues, growth factors and growth factor signaling pathways remain promising targets in the development of oncologic therapeutics.