Recently a special issue is meant to provide a forum for the communication of new and exciting research in these and other emerging areas, both in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry. It will publish a Special Issue dedicated to New Frontiers on Kinases, with the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry focusing on second generation inhibitors. For 2015, worldwide sales of 20 billion USD are forecasted for marketed kinase drugs.

Nowdays, therapeutic requirements change compared to cancer and the quest for kinase inhibitors with greater selectivity takes center stage, for example, syk-, p38-, and JAK-inhibitors for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These recent developments will stimulate the search for safer (more selective) kinase inhibitors to treat chronic, nonlethal diseases.

The development of inhibitors of kinases that target lipids rather than proteins (such as PI3- or PI4-kinase) represents another likely growth area which represents an area where medicinal chemistry and chemical biology me. Last but not least, there are many neglected kinases. Although inhibitors for ∼100 different kinases have been reported, as stated above, most of the extensive research efforts .

We look forward to receiving many exciting contributions over the coming months