RESEARCH Open Access

PAK4 confers themalignance of cervical cancers and contributes to the cisplatin-resistance in cervical cancer cells via PI3K/AKT pathway Xiang-Rong Shu1,2, Jing Wu1, He Sun1*, Li-Qun Chi3 and Jin-Huan Wang2* Background: Multiple protein or microRNA markers have been recognized to contribute to the progression and recurrence of cervical cancers. Particular those, which are associated with the chemo- or radio-resistance of cervical cancers, have been proposed to be promising and to facilitate the definition for cervical cancer treatment options. Methods: This study was designed to explore the potential prognosis value of p21-activated kinase (PAK)-4 in cervical cancer, via the Kaplan–Meier analysis, log-rank test and Cox regression analysis, and then to investigate the regulatory role of PAK4 in the cisplatin resistance in cervical cancer cells, via the strategies of both PAK4 overexpression and PAK4 knockout. Results: It was demonstrated that PAK4 was upregulated in cervical cancer tissues, in an association with the cancer’s malignance variables such as FIGO stage, lymph node or distant metastasis and the poor histological grade. The high PAK4 expression was also independently associated with poor prognosis to cervical cancer patients. Moreover