title: Perspective of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) as a drug target.
abstract: Deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has been associated with many cancer types and has evoked an interest in chemical inhibitors with possible therapeutic benefit. While most known inhibitors display broad selectivity towards multiple CDKs, recent work highlights CDK9 as the critical target responsible for the anticancer activity of clinically evaluated drugs. In this review, we discuss recent findings provided by structural biologists that may allow further development of highly specific inhibitors of CDK9 towards applications in cancer therapy. We also highlight the role of CDK9 in inflammatory processes and diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic. vladimir.krystof@upol.cz
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krystof
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baumli
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fürst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D042863:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D042863:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9