Science Now: A New Therapy for “Undruggable” Cancer Targets

Many human cancers have a mutated KRAS protein, which was long considered “undruggable.” Shokat's lab first cracked how to target mutated KRAS. Kevan Shokat is an HHMI Investigator and professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Applying chemistry to cancer biology, his lab used an unconventional approach to identify a small drug molecule that would bind to the mutated KRAS protein. That breakthrough now underlies a promising new therapy for several cancers with poor survival rates, including pancreatic cancer. The video supports teaching concepts related to chemical bonds, protein structure, and the process of science. This video is part of a series called Science Now, consisting of three videos on cancer research by HHMI scientists, bringing current, classroom-relevant science straight from the researchers themselves.