Role of CHK2 inhibitors in the cellular responses to ionizing radiation.

Ionizing radiation is the more effective therapy to reduce tumor growth through damaging the DNA of cells. In response to DNA damage, cells activate the checkpoint kinases such as CHK2, which signal to initiate repair processes and cell-cycle arrest, until the damaged DNA is repaired. At present, the development of CHK2 inhibitors has provided an interesting strategy for the treatment of cancer by introducing new radiation modifier agents. CHK2 inhibitors can contribute for the improvement of cancer therapy through sensitizing cancerous cells and radioprotection of normal cells against ionizing radiation. This review describes and discusses the most recent inhibitors of CHK2 and presents an evaluation of chemical structures and biological activities. As well as their role in cell growth during exposure to ionizing radiation.