Role of protein kinase D2 in pancreas tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis

Introduction: Growth of pancreatic carcinoma is thought to be highly dependent on angiogenesis, a process which drives the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing capillaries or venules. Tumor progression towards an aggressive, metastatic state is associated with multiple genetic changes, including changes leading to increased production of angiogenic factors. However, the signaling pathways governing tumor angiogenesis are not yet clearly understood. The protein kinase D (PKD) family of serine/threonine kinases belongs to the subfamily of the calcium-calmodulin kinase-like superfamily that comprises of…