Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and accounts for 18.4% of all cancer-related deaths. Our group is investigating how mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK) and their initiated pathways contribute to physiological and pathophysiological outcomes as well as their function in eliciting immune responses. We observed that atypical MAPKs are frequently deregulated in lung cancer and our results suggest an important role of these understudied kinases in metastasis: They contribute to the regulation of  cellular shape, lead to expression and secretion of pro-metastatic factors. In light of our findings we want to develop new kinase inhibitors to open up novel treatment avenues and synergistic regimens for clinical use.