Cancer, Cytologism and the Kinase Inhibitors Saga

Abstract

The role of kinases in the cell cycle of unicellular eukaryotes and cells of multicellular organisms has been the object of numerous studies involving normal and cancer cells. These studies described in detail how two daughter cells are generated from a single normal or cancer mother cell. Among the thousands of participants in the cell cycle, kinases play a crucial role in the dynamic aspects of the cell cycle thanks to the phosphorylation of substrates with which they react. Inhibitors of these kinases have figured prominently among the strategies to treat cancers. However, evidence shows that the benefits that cancer patients accrued from this therapeutic approach have been of a limited degree. In this article, we review the rationale for adopting such a strategy and the factors that contribute to its shortcomings.