The second most common cancer in both males and females is lung cancer. Chemotherapeutic resistance is the main problem associated with the treatment of lung cancer. Radiation therapy and surgery also produce recurrence in lung cancer patients; this shows the need to develop novel agents acting on new targets. A never in mitosis (NIMA)-related kinase 2 (NEK2) is a serine/threonine kinase associated with the family of NIMA-related kinase (NEK). NEK2 plays an important role in the regulating mitotic processes, such as centrosome duplication and separation, kinetochore attachment, spindle assembly checkpoint, and microtubule stabilization. Several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies have confirmed the overexpression of NEK2 in various types of cancers including lung cancer. Overexpression of NEK2 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells increased cell proliferation and chromosomal instability. The overexpression of NEK2 results in the activation of its downstream proteins such as β-catenin, MAD2, Hec1, rootletin, C-Nap1, CDC20, Cep68, and Sgo1. Activation of the Akt, β-catenin, and Wnt pathways could promote growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells. Such confirmation suggests that NEK2 is a novel target for treating many cancers including lung cancer. The current review provides an idea about functions and regulation of NEK2 and emphasizes about the role of NEK2 in lung cancer by discussing in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies pertaining to the same.
Keywords: NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2); cell cycle; centrosome dysjunction; chromosomal instability; lung cancer; spindle assembly.
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