Functional role and therapeutic targeting of p21-associated kinase 4 (PAK4) in multiple myeloma.
| Authors | |
| Abstract | Dysregulated oncogenic serine/threonine kinases play a pathological role in diverse forms of malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM), and thus represent potential therapeutic targets. Here, we evaluated the biological and functional role of p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4), and its potential as a new target in MM for clinical applications. PAK4 promoted MM cell growth and survival via activation of MM survival signaling pathways, including the MEK-ERK pathway. Furthermore, treatment with orally bioavailable PAK4 allosteric modulator (KPT-9274) significantly impacted MM cell growth and survival in a large panel of MM cell lines and primary MM cells alone and in the presence of bone marrow microenvironment. Intriguingly, we have identified FGFR3 as a novel binding partner of PAK4 and observed significant activity of KPT-9274 against t(4;14)-positive MM cells. These data support PAK4 as an oncogene in myeloma, and provide the rationale for the clinical evaluation of PAK4 modulator in myeloma. |
| Year of Publication | 2017
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| Journal | Blood
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| Date Published | 2017 Jan 17
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| ISSN | 1528-0020
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| DOI | 10.1182/blood-2016-06-724831
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| PubMed ID | 28096095
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