Revisiting Aurora Kinase B: A promising therapeutic target for cancer therapy

Abstract

Cancer continues to be a major health concern globally, although the advent of targeted therapy has revolutionized treatment options. Aurora Kinase B is a serine‐threonine kinase that has been explored as an oncology therapeutic target for more than two decades. Aurora Kinase B inhibitors show promising biological results in in‐vitro and in‐vivo experiments. However, there are no inhibitors approved yet for clinical use, primarily because of the side effects associated with Aurora B inhibitors. Several studies demonstrate that Aurora B inhibitors show excellent synergy with various chemotherapeutic agents, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies. This makes it an excellent choice as an adjuvant therapy to first‐line therapies, which greatly improves the therapeutic window and side effect profile. Recent studies indicate the role of Aurora B in some deadly cancers with limited therapeutic options, like triple‐negative breast cancer and glioblastoma. Herein, we review the latest developments in Aurora Kinase B targeted research, with emphasis on its potential as an adjuvant therapy and its role in some of the most difficult‐to‐treat cancers.