PDPK1 and cancer: PDPK1, a master regulatory protein kinase and a member of the AGC protein kinase family, activates multiple downstream effectors implicated in various diseases including cancer.24 Inhibition of PDPK1 reduced proliferation and progression and attenuated tumorigenesis in vivo in several tumour models.26, 27, 28 Our results showed that, while A549 cells with stably expressing PDPK1 showed more aggressive growth, overexpression of PDPK1 significantly countered the inhibitory effects of SM indicating and confirming the tumorogenic properties of this molecule.