Checkpoint kinase 1

Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is an essential enzyme in cells that helps maintain DNA integrity during cell division. When DNA is damaged or replication is incomplete, CHK1 activates a series of responses to pause the cell cycle, allowing repair processes to occur before division continues. This prevents the transmission of errors, protecting the cell from mutations and potential malignant transformation. CHK1's role is critical for genome stability, and it is a target for cancer therapies to selectively kill cancer cells by disrupting their ability to manage DNA damage.