International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Inhibitors of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases: Types and Their Mechanism of Action Paweł Łukasik 1, Irena Baranowska-Bosiacka 2, Katarzyna Kulczycka 3 and Izabela Gutowska 1,* 1 Department of Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wlkp. 72 Av., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
[email protected] 2 Department of Biochemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wlkp. 72 Av., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
[email protected] 3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wlkp. 72 Av., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Recent studies on cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors have revealed that small molecule drugs have become very attractive for the treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Most CDK inhibitors have been developed to target the ATP binding pocket. However, CDK kinases possess a very similar catalytic domain and three-dimensional structure. These features make it difficult to achieve required selectivity. Therefore, inhibitors which bind outside the ATP binding site present a great interest in the biomedical field, both from the fundamental point of view and for the wide range of their potential applications. This review tries to explain whether the ATP competitive inhibitors are still an option for future research, and highlights alternative approaches to discover more selective and potent small molecule inhibitors. Keywords: cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors; cancer; cell cycle; CDKs; CDK inhibitors Citation: Łukasik, P.; Baranowska-Bosiacka, I.; Kulczycka, K.; Gutowska, I. Inhibitors of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases: Types 1. Cyclin-Dependent Kinases (CDKs) and Their Mechanism of Action.