The work was carried out by scientists at the ICR in collaboration with Merck KGaA, with funding from Cancer Research UK. However, they provide a valuable starting point for designing future inhibitors that target DHX8 and potentially other RNA helicases in the DEAH-box family. Although it initially bound only weakly to DHX8, structural studies revealed interaction details that made it a strong candidate for optimisation. Scientists from the ICR’s Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery identified DHX8 as a cancer target and carried out key structural studies that supported the inhibitor programme. Media Contact:Tel: 0203 437 3502email: mediaoffice@icr.ac.ukSOURCE: The Institute of Cancer Research