Targeting IKKα kinase to prevent tumor progression and therapy resistance

Cancer therapy has improved considerably in the last years; however, therapeutic resistance is still a major problem that impedes full response to the treatment and the main cause of patient relapse and death. Numerous kinases have been reported to be overactivated in cancer and induce resistance to current therapies. Targeting kinases has proven to be useful for overcoming chemotherapy resistance and thus improving patient outcomes. Inhibitor of kappaB kinase alpha (IKKα) is a serine/threonine kinase that was first described as part of the IKK complex in the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, which regulates several physiological and physiopathological processes such as immunity, inflammation, and cancer. However, the IKKα subunit has been shown to be dispensable for NF-κB activation and responsible of multiple pro-tumorigenic functions. Furthermore, we identified a nuclear active form of IKKα kinase IKKα(p45) that promotes tumor growth and therapy resistance, independent of canonical NF-κB. Improved understanding of resistance mechanisms will facilitate drug discovery and provide new effective therapies. Here, we review the recent publications on the implications of IKKα in cancer initiation, development, and resistance.