p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond
Gastrointestinal tumors are the most common tumors, and they are leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, but their mechanisms are still unclear, which need to be clarified to discover therapeutic targets. p21-activating kinase (PAK), a serine/threonine kinase that is downstream of Rho GTPase, play...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Cancers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/19/4736 |
| _version_ | 1797480229176868864 |
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| author | Xiaodong Li Feng Li |
| author_facet | Xiaodong Li Feng Li |
| author_sort | Xiaodong Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gastrointestinal tumors are the most common tumors, and they are leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, but their mechanisms are still unclear, which need to be clarified to discover therapeutic targets. p21-activating kinase (PAK), a serine/threonine kinase that is downstream of Rho GTPase, plays an important role in cellular signaling networks. According to the structural characteristics and activation mechanisms of them, PAKs are divided into two groups, both of which are involved in the biological processes that are critical to cells, including proliferation, migration, survival, transformation and metabolism. The biological functions of PAKs depend on a large number of interacting proteins and the signaling pathways they participate in. The role of PAKs in tumors is manifested in their abnormality and the consequential changes in the signaling pathways. Once they are overexpressed or overactivated, PAKs lead to tumorigenesis or a malignant phenotype, especially in tumor invasion and metastasis. Recently, the involvement of PAKs in cellular plasticity, stemness and the tumor microenvironment have attracted attention. Here, we summarize the biological characteristics and key signaling pathways of PAKs, and further analyze their mechanisms in gastrointestinal tumors and others, which will reveal new therapeutic targets and a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:58:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cf3be1888a0741479f8d6de7f54e67b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6694 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:58:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cancers |
| spelling | doaj.art-cf3be1888a0741479f8d6de7f54e67b42023-11-23T19:55:43ZengMDPI AGCancers2072-66942022-09-011419473610.3390/cancers14194736p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and BeyondXiaodong Li0Feng Li1Department of Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of the PRC, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of the PRC, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, ChinaDepartment of Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of the PRC, and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of the PRC, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, ChinaGastrointestinal tumors are the most common tumors, and they are leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, but their mechanisms are still unclear, which need to be clarified to discover therapeutic targets. p21-activating kinase (PAK), a serine/threonine kinase that is downstream of Rho GTPase, plays an important role in cellular signaling networks. According to the structural characteristics and activation mechanisms of them, PAKs are divided into two groups, both of which are involved in the biological processes that are critical to cells, including proliferation, migration, survival, transformation and metabolism. The biological functions of PAKs depend on a large number of interacting proteins and the signaling pathways they participate in. The role of PAKs in tumors is manifested in their abnormality and the consequential changes in the signaling pathways. Once they are overexpressed or overactivated, PAKs lead to tumorigenesis or a malignant phenotype, especially in tumor invasion and metastasis. Recently, the involvement of PAKs in cellular plasticity, stemness and the tumor microenvironment have attracted attention. Here, we summarize the biological characteristics and key signaling pathways of PAKs, and further analyze their mechanisms in gastrointestinal tumors and others, which will reveal new therapeutic targets and a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/19/4736p21-activated kinasecancersignaling transductiongastrointestinal cancer |
| spellingShingle | Xiaodong Li Feng Li p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond Cancers p21-activated kinase cancer signaling transduction gastrointestinal cancer |
| title | p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond |
| title_full | p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond |
| title_fullStr | p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond |
| title_full_unstemmed | p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond |
| title_short | p21-Activated Kinase: Role in Gastrointestinal Cancer and Beyond |
| title_sort | p21 activated kinase role in gastrointestinal cancer and beyond |
| topic | p21-activated kinase cancer signaling transduction gastrointestinal cancer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/14/19/4736 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiaodongli p21activatedkinaseroleingastrointestinalcancerandbeyond AT fengli p21activatedkinaseroleingastrointestinalcancerandbeyond |