molecules of the month

Context.  “Compound 41” (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine) is an oral WD40 Repeat Domain 5 (WDR5) inhibitor being developed for various human cancers. The well-established role of epigenetic abnormalities in cancer development and progression has led to extensive studies to identify various epigenetic cancer inhibitors. Currently, seven such drugs have been approved by the FDA for diverse malignancies, and they target three major epigenetic drug targets: DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), histone deacetylases (HDACs), and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). As a key mediator of multiple epigenetic regulatory complexes, WDR5 is emerging as an ideal epigenetic cancer target. Preclinical studies suggest that “compound 41” selectively targets cells with the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) epigenetic signature through a potentially novel mechanism. In…