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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Co-immunoprecipitation Assay for Studying Functional Interactions Between Receptors and Enzymes
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Published on: September 28, 2018

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PDZ Binding Kinase/T-LAK Cell-Derived Protein Kinase Plays an Oncogenic Role and Promotes Immune Escape in Human

Tingting Feng1,2,3, Yan Zhang4, Sunbin Ling5

  • 1Department of Pathology, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.

Journal of Oncology
|October 4, 2021
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

PDZ binding kinase (PBK), also known as TOPK, drives tumor progression and immune evasion in cancers like KIRC, LGG, and LIHC. Targeting PBK with inhibitors may enhance immunotherapy effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Immunology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • PDZ binding kinase (PBK)/T-LAK cell-derived protein kinase (TOPK) is a key mitotic kinase implicated in tumor progression.
  • Limited pan-cancer analyses exist for PBK/TOPK, particularly concerning its role in tumor immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively analyze the oncogenic and immune roles of PBK across various cancer types.
  • To investigate the association of PBK expression with tumor progression, prognosis, and the tumor immune microenvironment.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized multiple public databases (Oncomine, Human Protein Atlas, TCGA, etc.) for expression and clinical data analysis.
  • Employed bioinformatics tools like DESeq2 and the TIDE algorithm for quantitative and immune-related analyses.
  • Performed Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses to identify PBK-associated biological processes.

Main Results:

  • PBK is upregulated in most solid tumors and linked to advanced stage, poor prognosis, and increased tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TAMs, Tregs, MDSCs).
  • PBK expression correlates with Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB), Microsatellite Instability (MSI), and immune checkpoint genes.
  • Elevated PBK in KIRC, LGG, and LIHC is associated with higher TIDE scores, indicating immune escape and reduced anti-tumor immunity.

Conclusions:

  • PBK exhibits oncogenic functions and promotes immune escape in various solid tumors, notably KIRC, LGG, and LIHC.
  • PBK is identified as a potential therapeutic target, suggesting that PBK inhibitors could be beneficial when combined with cancer immunotherapy.

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