JNK pathway: diseases and therapeutic potential.

c-Jun N-terminal protein kinases (JNK), also known as stress-activated protein kinases, were originally identified by their ability to phosphorylate the N-terminal of the transcription factor c-Jun and by their activation in response to a variety of stresses. JNK are multifunctional kinases involved in many physiological processes. The JNK pathway has been shown to play a major role in apoptosis in many cell death paradigms and its association with a variety of pathological processes is gradually been recognized. This review will concentrate on describing the involvement of the JNK pathway in the context of different diseases and the potential to adopt the JNK pathway components as therapeutic targets.