Biological role of the PAK4 signaling pathway: A prospective therapeutic target for multivarious cancers

Expression Patterns of PAK4 and PHF8 Are Associated with the Survival of Gallbladder Carcinoma Patients

“…P21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in regulating cell signaling pathways, including tumorigenesis [ 1 , 2 ]. The expression of PAK4 has been shown to be involved in cancer progression [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. PAK4 expression was higher in cancer tissue and a higher expression was related to a more aggressive phenotype and a poorer prognosis in various human cancers [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

“…PAK4 expression was higher in cancer tissue and a higher expression was related to a more aggressive phenotype and a poorer prognosis in various human cancers [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The mechanism of PAK4 in cancer progression has been suggested by its role in regulating various aspects of cancer cell behavior, such as proliferation, invasiveness, angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion [ 3 , 4 ]. In addition, inhibition of PAK4 was presented as a therapeutic strategy for human cancers [ 3 , 10 ] and PAK4 inhibitors showed antitumor activity in the breast [ 11 ], pancreas [ 12 ], and colorectal cancers [ 13 ].…”

“…Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms of gallbladder cancer progression is crucial in improving the clinical outcomes of patients [ 25 ]. The importance of PAK4 and PHF8 in cancer progression and as therapeutic targets has been emphasized in various human cancers, and the inhibition of PAK4 and PHF8 is under evaluation in cancer therapy [ 3 , 10 , 18 , 20 ]. Although it has been reported that PAK4 is overexpressed in gallbladder cancer during the evaluation of gene expression profiles of gallbladder cancers [ 26 ], studies on PAK4 and PHF8 in gallbladder cancer have been limited.…”