CDK Inhibitors: A New Wave of Cancer Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a class of serine/threonine kinases regulated by cyclin subunits. There are 21 CDKs in human cells, divided into two main groups: cell-cycle related CDKs (represented by CDK1, CDK4 and CDK5) and transcriptional CDKs (represented by CDK7, CDK8, CDK9, CDK11 and CDK20). Given their crucial roles in regulating a wide range of cellular processes, CDKs play a significant part in the initiation and progression of cancer, making them key targets for therapeutic interventions in cancer treatment. The landscape of CDK inhibitors has expanded rapidly, ranging from broad-spectrum inhibitors affecting multiple family members to highly selective inhibitors targeting specific CDKs, many of which have advanced to clinical trials.  Additionally, significant efforts have been invested in the past few years to develop selective CDK degraders.  These chemical probes not only help enhance our understanding of the unique molecular functions of various CDKs but also offer significant promise in the development of effective cancer treatments.

We hope that this Special Issue will offer valuable new insights into the diverse functions of CDKs and explore the therapeutic potential of established and novel CDK inhibitors in combating various types of cancer. We sincerely welcome your contributions, aiming to enrich the scientific community's knowledge of CDKs in cancer and to inspire groundbreaking approaches in the development of cancer treatments.

Dr. Mengqian Chen
Guest Editor

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• cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK)
• cell-cycle related CDKs
• transcriptional CDKs
• targeted cancer therapy
• CDK inhibitors
• CDK degraders
• cancer biology
• pharmacology
• clinical trials