Background
Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) is a cell cycle regulator, which can activate cyclin C, act in the G1/S phase, and regulate the normal cell cycle. CDK8 together with Cyclin, Med12 and Med13 form an intermediary complex, which is widely involved in the transmission of information between RNA polymerase II and gene-specific transcription factors, which can activate and inhibit transcription. In addition, CDK8 can activate a variety of signal transduction pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin and Notch, thereby inducing the occurrence and metastasis of malignant tumors such as rectal cancer and melanoma. Recent studies have found that blocking the activity of CDK8 gene can greatly reduce the glucose utilization rate of cancer cells.