title: p21-activated kinases in cancer.
abstract: The pivotal role of kinases in signal transduction and cellular regulation has lent them considerable appeal as pharmacological targets across a broad spectrum of cancers. p21-activated kinases (Paks) are serine/threonine kinases that function as downstream nodes for various oncogenic signalling pathways. Paks are well-known regulators of cytoskeletal remodelling and cell motility, but have recently also been shown to promote cell proliferation, regulate apoptosis and accelerate mitotic abnormalities, which results in tumour formation and cell invasiveness. Alterations in Pak expression have been detected in human tumours, which makes them an attractive new therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030-4009, USA. rkumar@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Anupama E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gururaj
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002465:Cell Movement; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
chemical_list: D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases