International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review CDKs in Sarcoma: Mediators of Disease and Emerging Therapeutic Targets Jordan L Kohlmeyer 1,2, David J Gordon 3 , Munir R Tanas 4, Varun Monga 5 , Rebecca D Dodd 5 and Dawn E Quelle 1,2,4,* 1 Molecular Medicine Graduate Program, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
[email protected] 2 The Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 2-570 Bowen Science Bldg., Iowa City, IA 52242, USA 3 The Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
[email protected] 4 The Department of Pathology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
[email protected] 5 The Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
[email protected] (V.M.);
[email protected] (R.D.D.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +319-353-5749; Fax: +319-335-8930 Received: 6 April 2020; Accepted: 22 April 2020; Published: 24 April 2020 Abstract: Sarcomas represent one of the most challenging tumor types to treat due to their diverse nature and our incomplete understanding of their underlying biology. Recent work suggests cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) pathway activation is a powerful driver of sarcomagenesis. CDK proteins participate in numerous cellular processes required for normal cell function, but their dysregulation is a hallmark of many pathologies including cancer. The contributions and significance of aberrant CDK activity to sarcoma development, however, is only partly understood.