Abstract
This chapter describes the potential use of flavopiridol, a CDK inhibitor with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities, in the treatment of various chronic diseases. Flavopiridol arrests cell cycle progression in the G1 or G2 phase by inhibiting the kinase activities of CDK1, CDK2, CDK4/6, and CDK7. Additionally, it binds tightly to CDK9, a component of the P-TEFb complex (CDK9/cyclin T), and interferes with RNA polymerase II activation and associated transcription. This in turn inhibits expression of several pro-survival and anti-apoptotic genes, and enhances cytotoxicity in transformed cells or differentiation in growth-arrested cells. Recent studies indicate that flavopiridol elicits anti-inflammatory activity via CDK9 and NFκB-dependent signaling. Overall, these effects of flavopiridol potentiate its ability to overcome aberrant cell cycle activation and/or inflammatory stimuli, which are mediators of various chronic diseases.
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Acknowledgments
The work in JP’s laboratory is supported by funds from Anna Valentine Moffitt/USF Collaborative Grant and Small Grant Program from USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute.
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Srikumar, T., Padmanabhan, J. (2016). Potential Use of Flavopiridol in Treatment of Chronic Diseases. In: Gupta, S., Prasad, S., Aggarwal, B. (eds) Drug Discovery from Mother Nature. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 929. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41342-6_9
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