title: Aurora-A Kinase: A Potent Oncogene and Target for Cancer Therapy.
abstract: The Aurora kinase family is comprised of three serine/threonine kinases, Aurora-A, Aurora-B, and Aurora-C. Among these, Aurora-A and Aurora-B play central roles in mitosis, whereas Aurora-C executes unique roles in meiosis. Overexpression or gene amplification of Aurora kinases has been reported in a broad range of human malignancies, pointing to their role as potent oncogenes in tumorigenesis. Aurora kinases therefore represent promising targets for anticancer therapeutics. A number of Aurora kinase inhibitors (AKIs) have been generated; some of which are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. Recent studies have unveiled novel unexpected functions of Aurora kinases during cancer development and the mechanisms underlying the anticancer actions of AKIs. In this review, we discuss the most recent advances in Aurora-A kinase research and targeted cancer therapy, focusing on the oncogenic roles and signaling pathways of Aurora-A kinases in promoting tumorigenesis, the recent preclinical and clinical AKI data, and potential alternative routes for Aurora-A kinase inhibition.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.|Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Chunli
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Mengying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Mengying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Lingzhi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Dapeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China.
authors.forename: Haixin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Sen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Subrata
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunophysiology, Department of Animal Sciences, College of ACES, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.|Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Keith W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Eric W-F
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. jinbilian@dmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Bilian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. liuq9@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Cancer Center, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China. liuq9@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|Institute of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. liuq9@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Quentin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D064096:Aurora Kinase A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D009857:Oncogenes; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D064096:Aurora Kinase A
keywords: Aurora kinase inhibitors (AKIs); Aurora-A; mitosis; targeted cancer therapy; tumorigenesis