The emerging role of Nemo-like kinase (NLK) in the regulation of cancers

Nemo-like kinase (NLK) is an evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-related kinase that is highly expressed in neural tissues and minimally detected in others. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that NLK exerts a pivotal role in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis via regulation of a variety of transcriptional molecules. The results of recent studies have shown that aberrant expression of NLK is significantly associated with the initiation and progression of various types of human cancers, as well as clinicopathologic features and survival rate. NLK is gradually considered as a potential tumor suppressor or an oncogene depending on the tumor system, and silencing or upregulating of NLK may provide an effective therapeutic approach against tumors. In this review, we will make a summary on the comprehensive roles of NLK in the regulation of various cancers.