5 Questions About FAK Inhibitor Defactinib (VS-6063) Answered

Cancer is one of those aggressive conditions that has a way of tricking our bodies. In fact, it has multiple ways of doing that, and the role of the scientists is to, well, try and outsmart it. While the research was, for a long time, focused solely on how to kill those cancer cells, scientists have now turned their attention towards other processes, aiming at discovering how they can actually stop them from dividing and growing, which requires them to research the hidden wiring, so to speak, that is, the signaling pathways that actually help tumors grow, divide, as well as resist treatment.

There are, of course, numerous signaling pathways that make this happen, and that’s exactly the trouble. In other words, this is why cancer treatment cannot be so straightforward, why there are always various factors to consider, and why every single type, as well as every single person, is a story for itself. Furthermore, this is why scientists are doing their best to discover targeted therapies, in an effort to target the specific pathways that are active in certain types of cancer, and to, therefore, try and provide people with the right treatment course, without them having to experience severe side effects.

Like I said, though, there are numerous signaling pathways that play a role in cancer development, so scientists undeniably have a lot of work on their hands. The focal adhesion kinase, known as FAK, is one of those pathways, and scientists have studied it for a long time, in an effort to discover how they could stop it from, well, doing its job, and thus sending those growth signals to cancer cells. And, that is where Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor comes into play, as one of the drugs that has shown to be able to do this. Go here to read more about it.

Now, the fact that you are here tells me that you have already heard of this particular drug, but that you, at the same time, have some important questions about it on your mind. Perhaps you are a researcher yourself who is looking to get better acquainted with this drug, and thus potentially use it in their own researching processes. Or, you’re just curious and want to get a better idea about all of this.

Whatever the case, one thing is for sure. You want to get answers to those important questions you have on your mind, and that is exactly what will happen if you keep on reading. So, without any further ado, let us start answering those questions for you right away, in an effort to help you get your facts straight and understand precisely what you need to know about Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor.

1. What Is FAK?

Before we get to talking about Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor specifically, we clearly have to cover the topic of FAK in general. After all, if you don’t understand it, then you won’t really understand what it is that Defactinib is trying to inhibit, or why. So, to cut right to the chase, FAK is a signaling protein inside the cells that regulates processes such as survival, adhesion and migration. And, that is a normal process in healthy cells.

Yet, in cancer cells, this protein can get overactive. And, by becoming overactive, it helps tumor cells attach to the surrounding tissues, spread and invade surrounding organs, as well as avoid apoptosis, which is one form of cell death. Clearly, thus, as you may have guessed it, the idea of FAK inhibitors is to block this excessive activity, and make cancer cells more vulnerable and more sensitive to therapies, as well as to increase the chances of those dying all on their own.

2. What Is Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor?

Onto the next question now. It is clear what FAK is and what kind of a role it plays when it comes to the growth of tumors. What is, then Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor specifically? Well, in short, it is a small molecule inhibitor that targets FAK specifically, thus inhibiting it and achieving that goal we have mentioned above about making cancer cells more vulnerable and leading to their death. In addition to that, it also blocks a related enzyme called Pyk2, which gives it a kind of a broader reach across these signaling pathways that we have been talking about.

3. How Does It Work?

Now, how does Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor actually work? Basically, it binds to the ATP-binding site on FAK, which means that it blocks the energy sources that the kinase needs to send its signals. This results in FAK being pretty much switched off, which means that the cells lose a part of its support system. And, that leads to weakening cell adhesion and reducing invasiveness, limiting the potential of cancer cells to survive under stress, changing the way our immune and stromal cells actually interact with the tumors, and potentially making the tumors more responsive to combination therapies. Thanks to these diverse effects, Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor is actually being studied both as a standalone treatment, as well as in combination with other therapies in oncology.

4. Can You Get It for Your Research?

If you’re a researcher, you may be wondering whether getting this drug for your experiments and studies is actually possible. And, well, the answer is yes. Sure, you won’t find it at the pharmacy, but the truth is that you can absolutely find it and get it for your lab, as long as you make sure to meet the institutional and legal requirements surrounding it.

5. Where to Get It?

Where can you get it, thus? Well, there are a lot of chemical suppliers out there that you can nowadays easily find online, which makes the purchasing process much simpler and much more straightforward. Just keep in mind, though, that not all suppliers will be the same, and they won’t all sell Defactinib (VS-6063) FAK inhibitor with the same level of purity, so you have to do your research before deciding where to make the actual purchase.