Focal Adhesion Kinase in Ovarian Cancer: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Platinum and Taxane-Resistant Tumors.

Focal Adhesion Kinase in Ovarian Cancer: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Platinum and Taxane-Resistant Tumors. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2018 Jul 06;: Authors: Levy A, Alhazzani K, Dondapati P, Alaseem A, Cheema K, Thallapureddy K, Kaur P, Alobid S, Rathinavelu A Abstract Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, which is an essential player in regulating cell migration, invasion, adhesion, proliferation, and survival. Its overexpression and activation have been identified in sixty-eight percent of epithelial ovarian cancer patients and this is significantly associated with higher tumor stage, metastasis, and shorter overall survival of these patients. Most recently, a new role has emerged for FAK in promoting resistance to taxane and platinum based therapy in ovarian and other cancers. The development of resistance is a complex network of molecular processes that makes the identification of a targetable biomarker in platinum and taxane resistant ovarian cancer a major challenge. FAK overexpression upregulates ALDH and XIAP activity in platinum-resistant and increases CD44, YB1, and MDR-1 activity in taxane-resistant tumors. FAK is therefore now emerging as a prognostically significant candidate in this regard, with mounting evidence from recent successes in preclinical and clinical trials using small molecule FAK inhibitors. This review will summarize the significance and function of FAK in ovarian cancer, an...
Source: Current Cancer Drug Targets - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Curr Cancer Drug Targets Source Type: research