The cell cycle, the process by which cells progress and divide, lies at the heart of cancer.

In normal cells, the cell cycle is controlled by a complex series of signaling pathways by which a cell grows, replicates its DNA and divides. This process also includes mechanisms to ensure errors are corrected, and if not, the cells commit suicide (apoptosis). In cancer, as a result of genetic mutations, this regulatory process malfunctions, resulting in uncontrolled cell proliferation. Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals' drug discovery and development programs build on recent scientific advances in understanding these molecular mechanisms. Through our expertise, we are developing cell cycle-based, mechanism-targeted cancer therapies that emulate the body's natural process in order to stop the growth of cancer cells. This approach can limit the damage to normal cells and the accompanying side effects caused by conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Professors Sir David Lane and David Glover, two of our key scientists, have built a leading position in cell cycle drug discovery and development. Sir David discovered the p53 protein, a key regulatory gene that malfunctions in about two-thirds of cancer patients. David Glover discovered several genes (Aurora and Polo kinases) that drive mitosis and that in mutated form are linked to many cancers. Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals is developing a large pipeline of drugs that target multiple, distinct points in the cell cycle.