Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway inhibitors: Inhibitors for diseases?

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, one of the most important signaling pathways in eukaryotic organism, is involved in multiple cellular events such as cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. MAPK is of great importance to the normal function of organisms, while its dysfunction results in various diseases. So far, inhibitors specifically against each subfamilies of MAP kinase have been developed, while more endeavors are needed to discover the compounds selectively targeting a particular subfamily member. Most of the kinase inhibitors exert their functions in an ATP-competitive way or a non-ATP-competitive way. Further studies on the effective mechanism of the MAPK inhibitors and their therapeutic roles in the treatment of diseases are helpful for the illumination of MAP kinase function, the development of novel inhibitors, and the therapy of diseases caused by the dysfunction of the MAPK pathway. © 2010 Higher Education Press and Springer Berlin Heidelberg.