Protein kinase C signalling in leukemia

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of proteins includes several kinases that share structural homology, but at the same time exhibit substantial functional diversity. There is a significant amount of evidence establishing distinct patterns of expression and function for different PKC isoforms and groups in different leukemias. Although most members of this family promote leukemic cell survival and growth, others exhibit opposing effects and participate in the generation of antileukemic responses. This review summarizes work in this field on the relevance of distinct members of the PKC family in the pathophysiology of myeloid and lymphoid leukemias. The clinical-therapeutic potential of such ongoing work for the treatment of future development of novel approaches for the treatment of different types of leukemias is discussed.