From Kinases to Diseases: Investigating the Role of AMPK in Human Pathologies

Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) is the major conserved regulator of cellular metabolism in eukaryotic cells, from yeast to mammals. Given its pivotal role, it is not surprising that alterations in its function may contribute to the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases. Indeed, AMPK has become a promising therapeutic target for several pathologies. In this context, significant efforts have been dedicated to discovering new pharmacological agents capable of activating AMPK based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and personalized medicine. Thanks to computational methodologies and high-throughput screening, the identification of small molecules and compounds with the potential to directly activate AMPK or modulate its intricate signaling network has become viable. However, the most widely used drug to activate AMPK in human patients is still metformin, which has shown promising results in the treatment of various diseases, such as type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and several types of cancer. In this review, we present a comprehensive analysis of the involvement of AMPK in human pathology, emphasizing its significant potential as a therapeutic target.