Choline Kinase alpha

TCD has identified ChoKa as a target for cancer treatment

ChoKa is the protein product of the oncogene chkα. When deregulated chkα causes the over-expression of ChoKa, resulting in the onset and development of cancer.

ChoKa is over-expressed in many types of cancers while existing at low levels in the surrounding normal tissues, thus making it an optimal target in the fight against cancer.

ChoKa participates in at least three of the major steps in the generation of a tumor cell: independent cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and increased cell motility and metastasis.
In response to ChoKa inhibition cancer cells activate an alternative phospolipid production mechanism that lead to the production of a toxin inside the cell and to cell distruction

Since it regulates the production of a critical structural component, ChoKa belongs to a very unique type of genes that are essential for the carcinogenic process. Lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer and bladder cancer are just a few among the many cancer types characterized by ChoKa over-expression.

Due to its importance ChoKa is also a tumor Marker that combines diagnostic and prognostic values in patients with heterogeneous clinical behavior. ChoKa was found to be an independent predictive factor of relapse and survival in a heterogeneous population of early stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.