Takahashi-Yanaga Fumi
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan.
J UOEH. 2018;40(2):147-156. doi: 10.7888/juoeh.40.147.
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a cytoplasmic serine/threonine protein kinase which is known to regulate a variety of cellular processes through a number of signaling pathways important for cell proliferation, stem cell renewal, apoptosis and development. Although GSK-3 exists in a variety of tissues, this kinase plays very important roles in the heart to control its development through the formation of heart and cardiomyocyte proliferation. GSK-3 is also recognized as one of the main molecules that control cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Therefore, GSK-3 could be an attractive target for the development of new drugs to cure cardiac diseases. The present review summarizes the roles of GSK-3 in the signaling pathways and the heart, and discusses the possibility of new drug development targeting this kinase.
糖原合酶激酶-3(GSK-3)是一种细胞质丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,已知其通过对细胞增殖、干细胞更新、细胞凋亡和发育至关重要的多种信号通路来调节各种细胞过程。尽管GSK-3存在于多种组织中,但这种激酶在心脏中通过心脏形成和心肌细胞增殖对心脏发育起着非常重要的作用。GSK-3也被认为是控制心脏肥大和纤维化的主要分子之一。因此,GSK-3可能是开发治疗心脏病新药的一个有吸引力的靶点。本综述总结了GSK-3在信号通路和心脏中的作用,并讨论了以该激酶为靶点开发新药的可能性。