title: CK2-An Emerging Target for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders.
abstract: Protein kinase CK2 has received a surge of attention in recent years due to the evidence of its overexpression in a variety of solid tumors and multiple myelomas as well as its participation in cell survival pathways. CK2 is also upregulated in the most prevalent and aggressive cancer of brain tissue, glioblastoma multiforme, and in preclinical models, pharmacological inhibition of the kinase has proven successful in reducing tumor size and animal mortality. CK2 is highly expressed in the mammalian brain and has many bona fide substrates that are crucial in neuronal or glial homeostasis and signaling processes across synapses. Full and conditional CK2 knockout mice have further elucidated the importance of CK2 in brain development, neuronal activity, and behavior. This review will discuss recent advances in the field that point to CK2 as a regulator of neuronal functions and as a potential novel target to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA. julia.csaval@gmail.com.|Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry and Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA. julia.csaval@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA. Andre.Ragnauth@gmail.com.|Ph.D. Programs at Queens College, City University of New York, New York, NY 11367, USA. Andre.Ragnauth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ragnauth
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA. Friedman@med.cuny.edu.|Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry and Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA. Friedman@med.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, NY 10031, USA. hrebholz@med.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rebholz
keywords: CK2; CK2 inhibitors; CK2 knockout; CK2 substrates; GPCRs; neurodegeneration; signaling; synapse