Small Molecules as LIM Kinase Inhibitors

Abstract

LIMK1 and LIMK2 are involved in the regulation of cellular functions that de-pend on the dynamics of actin cytoskeleton. Disregulation of LIM kinases has been associated with diseases, such as tumor progression and metastasis, viral infection, and ocular diseases. Motivated by this, numerous studies have been carried out to discover small organic molecules capable of inhibiting LIM kinase effectively and selectively. In this re-view, a comprehensive survey of small organic molecules for LIM kinase inhibitors is re-ported, together with SAR study results, and the synthesis of these inhibitors.