Study summary · research use only
P21-activated kinase in inflammatory and cardiovascular disease
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review consolidates knowledge on p-21-activated kinases (PAKs), serine-threonine kinases involved in diverse biological functions and organ-system diseases. The abstract focuses on PAK1 and PAK2 in inflammation in relation to NADPH oxidase activation, exploring PAK physiological functions during inflammation, roles in several organ diseases with emphasis on cardiovascular disease, and the PAK signaling pathway including its activators and targets. The authors discuss PAK1 as a potential pharmacological anti-inflammatory target, the limitations of current tools to regulate PAK1 activity, and directions for future research, concluding that evidence supports PAK as a central molecule in inflammatory signaling.
Abstract
P-21 activated kinases, or PAKs, are serine-threonine kinases that serve a role in diverse biological functions and organ system diseases. Although PAK signaling has been the focus of many investigations, still our understanding of the role of PAK in inflammation is incomplete. This review consolidates what is known about PAK1 across several cell types, highlighting the role of PAK1 and PAK2 in inflammation in relation to NADPH oxidase activation. This review explores the physiological functions of PAK during inflammation, the role of PAK in several organ diseases with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease, and the PAK signaling pathway, including activators and targets of PAK. Also, we discuss PAK1 as a pharmacological anti-inflammatory target, explore the potentials and the limitations of the current pharmacological tools to regulate PAK1 activity during inflammation, and provide indications for future research. We conclude that a vast amount of evidence supports the idea that PAK is a central molecule in inflammatory signaling, thus making PAK1 itself a promising prospective pharmacological target.
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