Roles and regulation of Haspin kinase and its impact on carcinogenesis

Cancer therapy is based on the selective clearance of malignant cells without severely damaging healthy tissues, and current clinical practice is constantly in need for new therapeutic targets in tumor management. The atypical protein kinase Haspin is conserved among most eukaryotes, and it has been shown to be particularly active in cycling cells. Along the years, several reports ascribed this protein the role to monitor chromosomal dynamics, primary cilia regulation and cellular polarization. Recently, an increasing amount of literature has depicted Haspin as a promising target to tackle tumors, as highlighted by its overexpression in malignant tissues and its requirement for cancer cell proliferation. In this work, we provide a detailed description on the current knowledge on Haspin, its physiological roles, the mechanisms underlying its regulation and its potential contribution to carcinogenesis.