The role of CDK6 in cancer

The regulation and function of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6)- and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4)-cyclin complexes are commonly altered with enhanced kinase activity found in hematopoietic malignancies, breast cancer and melanoma making CDK4 and CDK6 attractive targets for therapeutic interference. Although dual CDK4/6 inhibitors have revolutionized treatment of breast cancer patients and reveal promising results in several solid tumors and hematological malignancies, there is a need for novel compounds targeting the versatile kinase-independent functions of CDK6 to improve cancer treatment. The following review summarizes the latest findings on CDK6 in cancer development and discusses novel therapeutic approaches to selectively inhibit CDK6s function as a transcriptional regulator.