Abstract
Actin was first identified in non-muscle cells only about three decades ago, and at about the same time, it was found that actin filaments were disrupted in the malignant transformed cells. The actin network is a rather complex, yet important structural and functional system of all eukaryotic cells. Actin filaments provide the basic infrastructure for maintaining cell morphology and functions such as adhesion, motility, exocytosis, endocytosis, and cell division. Growing evidence from this laboratory and others shows that alterations of actin polymerization, or actin remodeling, plays a pivotal role in regulating the morphologic and phenotypic events of a malignant cell. Actin remodeling is the result of activation of oncogenic actin signaling pathways (e.g., Ras and Src), or inactivation of several important actin-binding proteins that have tumor suppressor functions (e.g., gelsolin). Distinctive protein expression patterns of some of these genes in cancer and progressive carcinogenic processes have been observed. It has become evident that actin dynamics are regulated by a complex interplay of the small GTPase proteins of Ras superfamily Rac, Rho, and Cdc42, and efforts to develop specific inhibitors for these small G proteins as anticancer drug are underway. In this review we will discuss how actin remodeling is altered in the malignant transformation process, the functional significance of actin alteration in association with malignant phenotypes, and the approaches of targeting actin remodeling for chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic drug development. Approaches including using nature products directly modulating actin polymerization, using inhibitors of actin pathway small G proteins, and using gene-augmentation for actin binding proteins will be discussed. In addition, the concept of using F / G-actin ratio as a surrogate marker for actin-pathway based therapy will also be introduced.
Keywords: actin remodeling, small gtpase protein, actin binding protein
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Microfilament Actin Remodeling as a Potential Target for Cancer Drug Development
Volume: 4 Issue: 4
Author(s): Jian Yu Rao and Ning Li
Affiliation:
Keywords: actin remodeling, small gtpase protein, actin binding protein
Abstract: Actin was first identified in non-muscle cells only about three decades ago, and at about the same time, it was found that actin filaments were disrupted in the malignant transformed cells. The actin network is a rather complex, yet important structural and functional system of all eukaryotic cells. Actin filaments provide the basic infrastructure for maintaining cell morphology and functions such as adhesion, motility, exocytosis, endocytosis, and cell division. Growing evidence from this laboratory and others shows that alterations of actin polymerization, or actin remodeling, plays a pivotal role in regulating the morphologic and phenotypic events of a malignant cell. Actin remodeling is the result of activation of oncogenic actin signaling pathways (e.g., Ras and Src), or inactivation of several important actin-binding proteins that have tumor suppressor functions (e.g., gelsolin). Distinctive protein expression patterns of some of these genes in cancer and progressive carcinogenic processes have been observed. It has become evident that actin dynamics are regulated by a complex interplay of the small GTPase proteins of Ras superfamily Rac, Rho, and Cdc42, and efforts to develop specific inhibitors for these small G proteins as anticancer drug are underway. In this review we will discuss how actin remodeling is altered in the malignant transformation process, the functional significance of actin alteration in association with malignant phenotypes, and the approaches of targeting actin remodeling for chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic drug development. Approaches including using nature products directly modulating actin polymerization, using inhibitors of actin pathway small G proteins, and using gene-augmentation for actin binding proteins will be discussed. In addition, the concept of using F / G-actin ratio as a surrogate marker for actin-pathway based therapy will also be introduced.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Rao Yu Jian and Li Ning, Microfilament Actin Remodeling as a Potential Target for Cancer Drug Development, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2004; 4 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009043332998
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1568009043332998 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
miR-21, An Oncogenic Target miRNA for Cancer Therapy: Molecular Mechanisms and Recent Advancements in Chemo and Radio-resistance
Current Gene Therapy CDK Inhibitors: From the Bench to Clinical Trials
Current Drug Targets Synthesis, Characterization and In Vitro Antiproliferative Effects of Novel 5-Amino Pyrazole Derivatives against Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Temporal Expression of miRNAs in Laser Capture Microdissected Palate Medial Edge Epithelium from Tgfβ3<sup>-/-</sup> Mouse Fetuses
MicroRNA Berberine Exhibits Antitumor Effects in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Association of Metronidazole with Cancer: A Potential Risk Factor or Inconsistent Deductions?
Current Drug Metabolism Withdrawal Notice: The Recent Advancement in the Field of Super Paramagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) for Aiming Breast Cancer
Current Drug Metabolism Application of Chiral α-Monofluorocarbonyl Compounds to Analytical and Medicinal Chemistry
Current Organic Chemistry Tumor Angiogenesis and VEGFR-2: Mechanism, Pathways and Current Biological Therapeutic Interventions
Current Drug Metabolism Research Progress on the Antitumor Effects of Rhein: Literature Review
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Pathways Related to the Anti-Cancer Effects of Metabolites Derived from Cerrado Biome Native Plants: An Update and Bioinformatics Analysis on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Protein & Peptide Letters TRICOM Vector Based Cancer Vaccines
Current Pharmaceutical Design Biological Activities of QIAPI 1 as a Melanin Precursor and Its Therapeutic Effects in Wistar Rats Exposed to Arsenic Poisoning
Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Exosome-like Nanoparticles: A New Type of Nanocarrier
Current Medicinal Chemistry Investigation on the Effects of Antimicrobial imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole Derivatives on the Genitourinary Microflora
Medicinal Chemistry Discovery of New Inhibitors of Urease Enzyme: A Study Using STD-NMR Spectroscopy
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Sirtuin Inhibitors: An Overview from Medicinal Chemistry Perspective
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Recent Advance in the Research of Flavonoids as Anticancer Agents
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Viral Origins of Human Cancer
Current Medicinal Chemistry Patent Selections
Recent Patents on DNA & Gene Sequences