Definition

An orally bioavailable inhibitor of both the serine/threonine protein kinase Aurora kinase and FMS-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3; STK1; CD135; FLK2), with potential antineoplastic activity. Upon oral administration, Aurora kinase/FLT3 inhibitor EP0042 specifically binds to and inhibits Aurora kinase and FLT3, which interferes with the activation of Aurora kinase- and FLT3-mediated signal transduction pathways. This may result in the disruption of the assembly of the mitotic spindle apparatus, the disruption of chromosome segregation and the inhibition of cell proliferation in tumor cells that overexpress Aurora kinase and/or FLT3. Aurora kinase plays essential roles in mitotic checkpoint control during mitosis. Aurora kinase and FLT3 are overexpressed in a variety of cancers and play key roles in tumor cell proliferation.