Research Progress of Integrin-linked Kinase(ILK) in Renal Diseases

Integrin-linked kinase(ILK) is a serine/threonine protein kinase, which interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of integrin β1 and β3 and participates in signal transduction such as integrin, growth factor, Wnt and TGF-beta/Smad. It plays an important role in the regulation of cell adhesion, apoptosis, metastasis, growth, cell cycle, tumor formation and so on. Abnormal expression of ILK in cells may lead to pathological changes. In this paper, the biological activity of ILK and its relationship with kidney diseases were summarized. These data suggest that the regulation of ILK expression may be a new approach for the treatment of renal diseases.