[Advances in the study of Rho kinase and its inhibitors]

Rho kinase, also named Rho associated kinase, is one of the important kinases found in recent ten years, which regulates cell movement including cytodieresis, contraction, adherence, migration, secretion, etc. The Rho kinase up-regulation in activity or in expression involves the progress of cardio-cerebro-vascular disorders, and Rho kinase has been regarded as a key target in drug discovery and development. With more and more Rho kinase inhibitors popping up, Rho kinase inhibitors are becoming a promising solution to cardiovascular diseases, neural disorders and other diseases. The article reviews the advances in the study of Rho kinase pathway andits inhibitors, other information associated with Rho kinase is also discussed.