Orange is the new black: Kinases are the new master regulators of tumor suppression

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Oncology
• Genomics

Background:

• Kinases are often viewed as oncogenes due to frequent activating mutations in cancer.
• Kinase inhibitors are established cancer therapeutics, targeting oncogenic kinase functions.
• Recent cancer genomics studies reveal a significant role for kinases as tumor suppressors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolving understanding of kinases in cancer.
• To highlight the discovery and identification of tumor-suppressing kinases.
• To discuss historical and modern approaches for identifying these kinases.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on kinase functions in cancer.
• Analysis of cancer genomics data, particularly loss-of-function mutation screens.
• Bioinformatic approaches for identifying tumor-suppressing kinases.

Main Results:

• Kinases play a dual role in cancer, acting as both oncogenes and tumor suppressors.
• Examples of tumor-suppressing kinases include Protein Kinase C (PKC) family, MKK4, and DAPK3.
• Modern bioinformatic and genomic approaches facilitate the identification of novel tumor-suppressing kinases.

Conclusions:

• The characterization of kinases as tumor suppressors is a significant shift in cancer research.
• Understanding the tumor-suppressive functions of kinases opens new avenues for cancer therapy.
• Continued research and advanced methodologies are crucial for uncovering the full spectrum of kinase roles in tumorigenesis.