title: Rho kinase as potential therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases: opportunities and challenges.
abstract: Rho kinase (ROCK) belongs to a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases that are activated via interaction with the small GTP-binding protein RhoA. Growing evidence suggests that RhoA and ROCK participate in a variety of important physiological functions in vasculature including smooth muscle contraction, cell proliferation, cell adhesion and migration, and many aspects of inflammatory responses. As these processes mediate the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease, modulation of the Rho/ROCK signalling pathway is a potential strategy for targeting an array of cardiovascular indications. Two widely employed ROCK inhibitors, fasudil and Y-27632, have provided preliminary but compelling evidence supporting the potential cardiovascular benefits of ROCK inhibition in preclinical animal disease models and in the clinic. This review summarises the molecular biology of ROCK and its biological functions in smooth muscle, endothelium and other vascular tissues. In addition, there will be a focus on recent progress demonstrating the benefits of ROCK inhibition in several animal models of cardiovascular diseases. Finally, recent progress in the identification of novel ROCK inhibitors and challenges associated with their development for clinical use will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Cardiovascular and Urogenital Drug Discovery, Department of Vascular Biology, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, 709 Swedeland Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, USA. Erding.Hu@gsk.com
authors.forename: Erding
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases