The cells that make up a multicellular organism must be in constant communication with one another to react against external changes, damage, and infection.
p38MAPK is a family of proteins involved in the signalling processes that coordinate this cell response. For years, two of the four members of this family (p38γ and p38δ) have gone largely unnoticed by scientists. Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Biotecnología of the CSIC (CNB-CSIC) have highlighted the importance of these two unrecognized proteins in their research, and now in an article that collects and updates the latest studies of them.
The work, published in the journal Trends in Biochemical Sciences, highlights the role of these proteins (called "p38 alternatives") in inflammatory pathologies, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative processes. The authors consider they could be good targets for the development of new therapies for these diseases.
"Until now, we knew very little about these two proteins. That is why we were unable to recognize the possibilities they offer for the treatment of human diseases," explains Ana Cuenda, a CNB-CSIC researcher and author of this paper.
According to the researchers, the lack of attention to the alternative p38s until recently is explained in part by the lack of suitable methods for their study. The last few years brought the development of new pharmacological and genetic tools that allowed scientists to study their physiological function and role in disease in greater depth. "It is stimulating to see how effort invested in basic research could lead to new therapies for devastating diseases," says Cuenda.
"We now know that p38γ and p38δ are essential for the correct function of the organism, and are involved in many human diseases. It is time to explore the therapeutic possibilities that this new knowledge offers us," the scientists state.
- Cuenda A and Sanz-Ezquerro JJ “p38γ and p38δ: from spectators to key physiological players” Trends in Biochem Sci, 2017.
