PRKAA2 (AMPK Alpha 2) Drug Discovery Landscape & Assay Solutions

Market Intelligence, Clinical Progress, and High-Purity Reagents for Metabolic Disease and Oncology Development.

TarMart Solution Ecosystem & Related Targets

Comprehensive reagent toolkit for PRKAA2 drug discovery. Select your modality below:

Component / Network Product Description Product Link
Antigen PRKAA2 Kinase Domain & Mutant Proteins
High purity (>95%), Endotoxin <1EU/ug. Sequence Verified. Includes T172D (Constitutively Active) and D157A (Kinase Dead).
View PRKAA2 Products
Gene Delivery PRKAA2 Lentivirus Premade Particles
Full-length ORF with HA-tag for stable cell line construction. Constitutively active mutant available.
View PRKAA2 Products
Benchmark Ab Anti-PRKAA2 (Pan-Specific) & Phospho-Thr172
High-affinity research grade antibody for Western/IF.
View PRKAA2 Products
Validator PRKAA2 siRNA Set
Three unique targets for knockdown verification. Sequence-verified.
View PRKAA2 Products
Isoform Control PRKAA1 (AMPK Alpha 1)
Essential for selectivity screening vs. Alpha 2 isoform.
View PRKAA1 Products
Complex Partner PRKAB2 (AMPK Beta 2)
Regulatory subunit for holoenzyme reconstitution assays.
View PRKAB2 Products
Pathway Node STK11 (LKB1)
Upstream activator kinase. Critical for pathway validation.
View STK11 Products
Downstream Substrate ACC1 (Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1)
Direct functional readout for AMPK activation; phosphorylation at Ser79 is the PD marker.
View ACC1 Products
Critical Assay Challenge The TarMart Advantage (Technical Spec)
Isoform Selectivity (Alpha 2 vs Alpha 1) Human PRKAA2 and PRKAA1 catalytic domains available side-by-side; HEK293 expressed (>95% purity); Sequence Verified for ATP-binding cleft identity.
Constitutive Activity Modeling T172D Phospho-mimetic mutant (mimics Thr172 phosphorylation) available for functional gain-of-study; Theoretical MW confirmed by Mass Spec.
Holoenzyme Assembly & Regulation Compatible with PRKAB and PRKAG subunits for heterotrimeric complex reconstitution; Native glycosylation preserved (HEK293 system).
Specificity & Negative Controls Kinase-dead D157A mutant + validated siRNA set included; Endotoxin controlled (<1 EU/μg) for cellular assay integrity.

Global Clinical Landscape & Future Outlook

The race for PRKAA2-targeted therapeutics is intensifying, with major players shifting focus from pan-AMPK activation (e.g., metformin, AICAR) to Alpha 2-selective modulation. Following the discontinuation of first-generation direct activators (e.g., Merck's MK-8722) due to cardiac hypertrophy concerns, the next wave of R&D targets tissue-specific delivery—primarily skeletal muscle for metabolic disease and hepatic/tumor-specific contexts. Second-generation allosteric modulators (e.g., Poxel's PXL770) and indirect activators (via LKB1/STK11 pathway) are entering the clinic. Major indications include Type 2 Diabetes, NASH, chronic kidney disease, and LKB1-deficient tumors. The demand for rigorous isoform selectivity assays, holoenzyme reconstitution tools, and mutant-specific validation has become the primary technical bottleneck for lead optimization.

Competitive Modality & Indication Snapshot

Modality Representative Players Key Indications Critical Assay Need (Why TarMart?)
Direct Alpha 2 Activator (Small Mol) Merck (legacy), Calico/Gilead, AstraZeneca Type 2 Diabetes, NASH Isoform Selectivity Assay (Need purified PRKAA2 vs PRKAA1 catalytic domains with native folding)
Indirect Activator (Allosteric) Poxel, Immuneering, Academic Consortia NASH, Cachexia, Metabolic Syndrome Holoenzyme Conformational Assay (Need full-length PRKAA2 + PRKAB/PRKAG subunits)
PROTACs / Degraders Emerging Biotechs Oncology (Context-dependent, LKB1-deficient) Degradation & Synthetic Lethality Assays (Need specific antibodies and stable cell lines via Lentivirus)
Gene Therapy Academic/Translational Spin-offs Cardiovascular Aging, Metabolic Disease Expression Validation (Need strictly verified ORF/Lentivirus)

Key Mutations and Clinical Relevance

PRKAA2 is a protein kinase (functional domain confirmed by UniProt). Several somatic mutations have been identified in cancer samples:

  • Breast cancer (infiltrating ductal carcinoma) – somatic mutation (VAR_035623)
  • Gastric adenocarcinoma – somatic mutation (VAR_040355)
  • Breast cancer – somatic mutation (VAR_035624)

These mutations may influence drug binding, kinase activity, or downstream signaling. Researchers developing selective modulators should consider these variants in resistance profiling and patient stratification. TarMart offers custom mutagenesis services to generate relevant mutant proteins for preclinical evaluation.

Live PRKAA2 R&D Tracker

Market data changes daily. Access the latest global pipeline status directly: