title: Beyond DNA repair: DNA-PK function in cancer.
abstract: The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) is a pivotal component of the DNA repair machinery that governs the response to DNA damage, serving to maintain genome integrity. However, the DNA-PK kinase component was initially isolated with transcriptional complexes, and recent findings have illuminated the impact of DNA-PK-mediated transcriptional regulation on tumor progression and therapeutic response. DNA-PK expression has also been correlated with poor outcome in selected tumor types, further underscoring the importance of understanding its role in disease. Herein, the molecular and cellular consequences of DNA-PK are considered, with an eye toward discerning the rationale for therapeutic targeting of DNA-PK.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although DNA-PK is classically considered a component of damage response, recent findings illuminate damage-independent functions of DNA-PK that affect multiple tumor-associated pathways and provide a rationale for the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Jonathan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Department of Urology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Department of Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Karen.Knudsen@Jefferson.edu.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Knudsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage; D004260:DNA Repair; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase