The long-awaited structure of HIPK2.

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinases (HIPKs) are kinases that phosphorylate transcription factors involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Their structures have been long sought because of their potential as drug targets in cancers and fibrosis. Agnew and colleagues present the first crystal structure of the HIPK2 kinase domain, complexed with the small-molecule inhibitor CX-4945, revealing important structural differences from related protein kinases of the DYRK family. This structure provides a starting point to exploit HIPK2's distinct structural features to develop selective small-molecule inhibitors of this kinase.