ReviewGene-to-screenThe MEK5/ERK5 signalling pathway in cancer: a promising novel therapeutic target

•The present review highlights the emerging clinical relevance of MEK5/ERK5 signalling as a therapeutic target and prognostic factor in several top-leading diagnosed cancers.•Highlights ERK5 identification, physiological role and role in cancer development.•Provides evidence of ERK5 role in top-leading diagnosed and other relevant cancers.•Communicates ERK5 clinical relevance.

Conventional mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members are among the most sought-after oncogenic effectors for the development of novel human cancer treatment strategies. MEK5/ERK5 has been the less-studied MAPK subfamily, despite its increasingly demonstrated relevance in the growth, survival, and differentiation of normal cells. MEK5/ERK5 signalling has already been proposed to have pivotal roles in several cancer hallmarks, and to mediate the effects of a range of oncogenes. Accumulating evidence indicates the contribution of MEK5/ERK5 signalling to therapy resistance and the benefits of using MEK5/ERK5 inhibitory strategies in the treatment of human cancer. Here, we explore the major known contributions of MEK5/ERK5 signalling to the onset and progression of several types of cancer, and highlight the potential clinical relevance of targeting MEK5/ERK5 pathways.