R&D Strategy
Tyligand focuses on the discovery and development of small
molecule agents for cancer and immunological diseases through the precision
modulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation status. The phosphorylation
level of the tyrosine aromatic hydroxyl groups in signaling proteins is
regulated by the reversible and dynamic action of protein tyrosine kinases (enzymes that can phosphorylate, or add a phosphate group to substrate proteins) and protein tyrosine phosphatases
(enzymes that can dephosphorylate, or remove a phosphate group). One of our targets is SHP2,
a protein tyrosine phosphatase. When aberrantly activated, SHP2 is responsible
for driving multiple downstream signal transduction pathways, such as RAS, ERK,
PI3-K/Akt and JAK/STAT, for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. It
is also involved in regulating the PD1-PDL1 immune checkpoint axis, which is
closely related to cancer cells' ability to evade the immune system. Leveraging
the in-depth understanding of SHP2 protein structural features and synthetic
chemistry expertise, scientists at Tyligand are striving to find small
molecular agents that can precisely modulate the functions of disease relevant protein
tyrosine phosphatases, with the objective of providing effective, safe,
convenient and accessible treatment options for patients around the world.