Role of PKCβ in the malignant tumors and Enzastaurin, a PKCβ inhibitor

Protein kinase C beta (PKCβ) is a multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinase, which plays an important role in many cell signaling pathways.  PKCβ takes part in multiple physiological processes, including regulation of the cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis.  Increased PKCβ activity has been observed in many human cancers, such as colon, breast and haematological malignancies.  At present, Enzastaurin is mostly studied in preclinical and clinical studies, which is a selective PKCβ inhibitor.  This   review focuses on the functional properties of PKCβ, its role played in tumors and Enzastaurin.