A promiscuous kinase inhibitor reveals secrets to cancer cell survival.

Deregulated kinase signaling networks drive the growth and survival of many cancer cells. However, the genetic complexity and rapidly evolving nature of most cancer cells create challenges when identifying the most relevant kinases to inhibit to achieve optimal therapeutic benefits. A new strategy that takes advantage of a well-characterized multitargeted kinase inhibitor describes a nongenetic approach to tease out key kinases that promote proliferation of specific cancer cell types.