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Aurora B kinase: a potential drug target for cancer therapy

  • Review – Cancer Research
  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Ensuring genetic integrity is essential during the cell cycle to avoid aneuploidy, one of the underlying causes of malignancies. Aurora kinases are serine/threonine kinase that play a vital role in maintaining the genomic integrity of the cells. There are three forms of aurora kinases in the mammalian cells, which are highly conserved and act together with several other proteins to control chromosome alignment and its equal distribution to daughter cells in mitosis and meiosis.

Methods

We provide here a detailed analysis of Aurora B kinase (ABK) in terms of its expression, structure, function, disease association and potential therapeutic implications.

Results

ABK plays an instrumental in mitotic entry, chromosome condensation, spindle assembly, cytokinesis, and abscission. Small-molecule inhibitors of ABK are designed and synthesized to control cancer progression. A detailed understanding of ABK pathophysiology in different cancers is of great significance in designing and developing effective therapeutic strategies.

Conclusion

In this review, we have discussed the physiological significance of ABK followed by its role in cancer progression. We further highlighted available small-molecule inhibitors to control the tumor proliferation and their mechanistic insights.

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Abbreviations

ABK:

Aurora B kinase

CLK:

Cdc-like kinase

shRNAs:

Short-hairpin RNAs

CPC:

Chromosomal passenger complex

CDK:

Cyclin-dependent kinase

SAC:

Spindle assembly checkpoint

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Acknowledgements

M.I.H. extends sincere thanks to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (Project No. 27(0368)/20/EMR-II).

Funding

Funding has been provided by Indian Council of Medical Research for financial support (Grant No. ISRM/12(22)/2020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India

    Azaj Ahmed, Anas Shamsi, Taj Mohammad, Asimul Islam & Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan

  2. Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 173, Al-Kharj, 11942, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Gulam Mustafa Hasan

Authors
  1. Azaj Ahmed
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  2. Anas Shamsi
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  3. Taj Mohammad
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  4. Gulam Mustafa Hasan
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  5. Asimul Islam
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  6. Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan
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Contributions

Conceptualization: AA, AS, and MIH; writing—original draft: AA, AS, TM, and AI; writing—review and editing: AS, GMH, and MIH. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Md. Imtaiyaz Hassan.

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Ahmed, A., Shamsi, A., Mohammad, T. et al. Aurora B kinase: a potential drug target for cancer therapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 147, 2187–2198 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-021-03669-5

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