The role of p21-activated kinases in pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis and an overall 5-year survival rate of less than 5%.Management has not improved significantly over the last 30 years, and a better understanding of the genetic and molecular changes that occur is urgently required.Many of these changes appear to involve the p21-activated kinases (PAKs). The PAK family consists of 6 isoforms, 2 of which, PAK1 and PAK4, are up-regulated and/or hyperactivated in pancreatic cancer. p21-Activated kinases can mediate many different cellular processes especially those contributing to cancer development and progression. These processes include the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics and cell adhesion, t..