CDK inhibitors

CDK inhibitors, or cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, are a class of compounds that block the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), a group of serine/threonine kinases crucial for regulating the cell cycle. CDKs, when bound to their regulatory partner cyclins, drive cell cycle progression by phosphorylating key substrates that control cell division. CDK inhibitors exert their effects by preventing the formation of the CDK-cyclin complex or by directly binding to and inhibiting CDK enzymatic activity. By interfering with CDK function, these inhibitors induce cell cycle arrest, thereby halting cellular proliferation. This property makes them promising candidates for cancer therapy, as uncontrolled cell division is a hallmark of cancer.