细胞周期蛋白依赖性激酶 7 (CDK7) 调节细胞周期和转录，这对于癌症进展至关重要。 CDK7 抑制剂在临床前研究中表现出显着的抗癌活性，目前正在临床试验中进行评估。 CDK7在体内广泛表达。然而，CDK7抑制对正常组织的影响却很少受到关注。在此，我们回顾了 CDK7 的生物学功能，以及其在发育、稳态和疾病中的新作用。我们讨论了 CDK7 激酶激活的调节机制，并概述了迄今为止已识别的 CDK7 底物。此外，我们强调了未解答的问题并提出了未来研究的关键领域。对 CDK7 的深入了解将促进 CDK7 抑制剂的药物开发，并有助于最大限度地减少不良副作用。版权所有 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd。保留所有权利。

Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) regulates cell cycle and transcription, which are central for cancer progression. CDK7 inhibitors exhibit substantial anticancer activities in preclinical studies and are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. CDK7 is widely expressed in the body. However, the impact of CDK7 inhibition on normal tissues has received little attention. Here, we review the biological functions of CDK7, followed by its emerging roles in development, homeostasis and diseases. We discuss the regulatory mechanisms of CDK7 kinase activation and provide an overview of CDK7 substrates identified to date. Moreover, we highlight unanswered questions and propose key areas for future investigation. An advanced understanding of CDK7 will facilitate the pharmaceutical development of CDK7 inhibitors and help minimize undesirable adverse effects.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.