Study summary · research use only
Role of p-21-activated kinases in cancer progression
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses the p-21-activated kinases (PAKs), downstream effectors of the Rho GTPases Rac and Cdc42. The abstract states the PAK family has six members split into two subgroups: Group I (PAK1-3), the most studied, and Group II (PAK4-6). It describes proposed roles of PAK proteins in cellular processes relevant to cancer progression, reviewing data linking PAKs to expression profiles, evasion of apoptosis, promotion of cell survival, and regulation of cell invasion, and discusses attempts to therapeutically target the family and the obstacles involved.
Abstract
The p-21-activated kinases (PAKs) are downstream effectors of Rho GTPases Rac and Cdc42. The PAK family consists of six members which are segregated into two subgroups (Group I and Group II) based on sequence homology. Group I PAKs (PAK1-3) are the most extensively studied but there is increasing interest in the functionality of Group II PAKs (PAK4-6). The PAK family proteins are thought to play an important role in many different cellular processes, some of which have particular significance in the context of cancer progression. This review explores established and more recent data, linking the PAK family kinases to cancer progression including expression profiles, evasion of apoptosis, promotion of cell survival, and regulation of cell invasion. Finally, we discuss attempts to therapeutically target the PAK family and outline the major obstacles that still need to be overcome.
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