Protein kinase CK2 sustains de novo fatty acid synthesis by regulating the expression of SCD-1 in human renal cancer cells.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a type of cancer characterized by a vast intracellular accumulation of lipids that are critical to sustain growth and viability of the cells in the tumour microenvironment. Stearoyl-CoA 9-desaturase 1 (SCD-1) is an essential enzyme for the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids and consistently overexpressed in all stages of ccRCC growth.

Methods: Human clear cell renal cell carcinoma lines were treated with small-molecule inhibitors of protein kinase CK2.

Body weight control via protein kinase CK2: diet-induced obesity counteracted by pharmacological targeting.

Background: Protein kinase CK2 is a highly conserved enzyme implicated in the pathogenesis of various human illnesses including obesity. Despite compelling evidence for the involvement of this kinase in the pathophysiology of obesity, the molecular mechanisms by which CK2 might regulate fat metabolism are still poorly understood.

Methods And Results: In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of CK2 on lipid metabolism by employing both in vitro and in vivo approaches using mouse pre-adipocytes and a mouse model of diet-induced obesity.