Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40940791›Full record

ReviewCells2025

Polo-like Kinase 4: A Molecular Culprit in Skin Cancer Pathogenesis.

Tanya Jaiswal, Durdana Muntaqua, Nihal Ahmad

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cells, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Tanya JaiswalDepartment of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-9241-4014
Durdana MuntaquaDepartment of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8929-2972
Nihal AhmadDepartment of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4239-9887

Funding

Functional and Therapeutic Significance of PLK4 in MelanomaR01CA261937 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · PI Nihal Ahmad · 2022 to 2026
$2.9M
BLRD VA I01 BX005917BLRD VA IK6 BX006041CSRD VA I01 CX002210NCI NIH HHS R01 CA261937NIH HHS R01CA261937VA BLR&D I01BX005917VA BLR&D IK6BX006041VA CSR&D I01CX002210
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Skin cancer remains a significant global health challenge, with rising incidence and associated mortality in late-stage and drug-resistant cases. This underscores a continuing need for more effective novel therapeutic options that can be utilized for efficient management of skin cancers. A promising approach involves exploiting novel targets, which are dysregulated in skin cancer, either alone or in combination with existing therapeutics. Among these, polo-like kinases (PLKs), a family of serine/threonine kinases, has emerged as promising candidates due to their essential role in cell cycle and maintaining genomic stability, key hallmarks of cancer. Within this family, polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4) stands out as a structurally distinct member and the master regulator of centriole duplication, ensuring this process occurs only once per cell division. Dysregulation of PLK4 can disrupt genomic integrity, contributing to tumorigenesis, thus making it a promising target for cancer management. Notably, PLK4 is frequently overexpressed in several cancers, including skin cancer, and its precise role in skin cancer is an area of current investigation. Further, several small-molecule PLK4 inhibitors such as centrinone, YLZ-F5, CFI-400945, and RP-1664 have demonstrated efficacy in targeting PLK4. Among these, CFI-400945 has advanced to clinical trials, where it has shown modest anti-cancer activity. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the known functions of PLK4 in skin cancer. Additionally, we discuss potential mechanistic insights into PLK4's involvement in skin cancer progression by extrapolating evidence from studies in other cancer types including colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer, lymphomas, leukemia, etc., while identifying gaps for future research.

Indexed as

Protein Serine-Threonine KinasesSkin NeoplasmsAnimalsHumansPLK4 protein, humanProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesATR/CHEK1cGAS-STINGHippo/YAPmelanomaNFκBp53PI3/AKTpolo-like kinase 4skin cancerWnt/β-catenin

Identifiers

PMID40940791
PMCPMC12428372

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.