ML-356 is an inhibitor of the thioesterase domain of fatty acid synthase with IC50 value of 334 nM.
Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a multi-enzyme protein that catalyzes fatty acid synthesis, fatty acids are related to energy production and storage, cellular structure ,hormones biosynthesis .A number of subsequent immunohistochemically analyses showed that increased expression of FAS is a hallmark of all major cancers including those of the prostate, the breast, the colon, and the ovaries.
In prostate cancer PC-3 cells, ML-356 blocked palmitate (the final product of fatty acids synthesis) biosynthesis, indicating that ML-356 has potential to block tumor growth in vivo because FAS is up-regulated in all the major solid tumors.
Reference:
1. R. Ardecky, M. P. Hedrick, P. Gosalia, et al. Selective inhibitors of FAS-TE. Probe Reports from the NIH Molecular Libraries Program (2010).