Protein kinase C and cancer: what we know and what we do not

GARG R; BENEDETTI LG; ABERA MB; WANG H; ABBA MC; KAZANIETZ MG

ONCOGENE

NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 p. 1 - 13

0950-9232

Since their discovery in the late 1970s, protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes represent one of the most extensively studied signalingkinases. PKCs signal through multiple pathways and control the expression of genes relevant for cell cycle progression,tumorigenesis and metastatic dissemination. Despite the vast amount of information concerning the mechanisms that control PKCactivation and function in cellular models, the relevance of individual PKC isozymes in the progression of human cancer isstill a matter of controversy. Although the expression of PKC isozymes is altered in multiple cancer types, the causal relationshipbetween such changes and the initiation and progression of the disease remains poorly defined. Animal models developed inthe last years helped to better understand the involvement of individual PKCs in various cancer types and in the context of specificoncogenic alterations. Unraveling the enormous complexity in the mechanisms by which PKC isozymes have an impact ontumorigenesis and metastasis is key for reassessing their potential as pharmacological targets for cancer treatment.