Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause for morbidity and mortality worldwide. Possibilities for new therapies in the emerging field of cardiac signalling prompted extensive research on myocardial remodelling over the past decades. In this review, we assemble an overview of the recent findings on the multifunctional enzyme, p21-activated kinase 1 (Pak1), a member of a serine/threonine protein kinase family in the heart, particularly its cardiac protective effects. We present a model for Pak1 signaling that provides a mechanism for specifically affecting cardiac cellular processes. We discuss its cardiac protective effects such as anti-hypertrophy, anti-ischaemic injury and role in maintaining ventricular Ca2+homeostasis and electrophysiological stability under physiological, β-adrenergic and hypertrophic stress conditions. We also discuss the potentials of Pak1 activation by naturally occurring sphingosine and its analogues FTY720, and bioactive peptides designed to diminish Pak1 auto-inhibition as novel therapeutics for major cardiovascular diseases.

Original publication

DOI

10.3867/j.issn.1000-3002.2014.04.001

Type

Journal article

Journal

Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Publication Date

01/01/2014

Volume

28

Pages

475 - 483