Inhibitors of CK2 Kinase for the Treatment of Gliomas and Other Brain Tumors

Abstract

Protein kinase CK2 has become a target of experimental antiglioma therapies as laboratory data are almost uniformly favorable and the number of synthetized CK2 inhibitors is rapidly growing. The evidence of their use for other brain tumors is on the increase as well. Great expectations are entrusted in naturally occurring compounds capable of inhibiting CK2 kinase. These compounds are extracted and purified by means of biochemistry methods and are amenable for innovative drug delivery systems as well. CK2 kinase inhibitors have been proven suitable for combined therapies with other investigational antiglioma agents and treatment modalities. However a greater share of efforts should be undertaken towards inhibiting functions relatively specific for glial tumors including infiltrative growth and invasiveness or maintenance of glioma initiating cells. Many of these function appear to converge on mTOR and JAK/STAT pathways which are being meticulously studied in this respect. Protein kinase CK2 holds therapeutic promise especially when combined with other agents aimed at molecular signatures of gliomas.