Glycogen synthase kinase 3 as an anticancer drug target: novel experimental findings and trends in the design of inhibitors

Abstract

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is a ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinase participating in numerous pathways. Very important among them are cancer-related pathways, such as Wnt pathway and nuclear factor κB pathway. The recent findings concerning possible applicability of GSK-3 inhibitors as anticancer agents are summarized in this review, and controversies in the data are highlighted. The most actual concepts of GSK-3 inhibitor design are also thoroughly discussed.