Tumorigenesis is a long-term and multistage process that often leads to the formation of
metastases. During this pathological course, two major events appear to be crucial: primary tumour growth and metastatic expansion. In this context, despite research and clinical advances during the past decades, bone
cancers remain a leading cause of death worldwide among paediatric
cancer patients.
Osteosarcomas are the most common malignant bone tumours in children and adolescents. Notwithstanding advances in therapeutic treatments, many patients succumb to these diseases. In particular, less than 30% of patients who demonstrate
metastases at diagnosis or are poor responders to
chemotherapy survive 5 years after initial diagnosis.
LIM kinases (LIMKs), comprising LIMK1 and LIMK2, are common downstream effectors of several signalization pathways, and function as a signalling node that controls cytoskeleton dynamics through the phosphorylation of the
cofilin family
proteins. In recent decades, several reports have indicated that the functions of LIMKs are mainly implicated in the regulation of actin microfilament and the control of microtubule dynamics. Previous studies have thus identified LIMKs as
cancer-promoting regulators in multiple organ
cancers, such as
breast cancer or
prostate cancer. This review updates the current understanding of LIMK involvement in
osteosarcoma progression.