Lin28 Regulates Cancer Cell Stemness for Tumour Progression

Abstract

Tumours develop therapy resistance through complex mechanisms, one of which is that cancer stem cell (CSC) populations within the tumours present self-renewable capability and phenotypical plasticity to endure therapy-induced stress conditions and allow tumour progression to the therapy-resistant state. Developing therapeutic strategies to cope with CSCs requires a thorough understanding of the critical drivers and molecular mechanisms underlying the aforementioned processes. One such hub regulator of stemness is Lin28, an RNA-binding protein. Lin28 blocks the synthesis of let-7, a tumour-suppressor microRNA, and acts as a global regulator of cell differentiation and proliferation. Lin28also targets messenger RNAs and regulates protein translation. In this review, we explain the role of the Lin28/let-7 axis in establishing stemness, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and glucose metabolism reprogramming. We also highlight the role of Lin28 in therapy-resistant prostate cancer progression and discuss the emergence of Lin28-targeted therapeutics and screening methods.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 24, 2022
Source ID
10.3390/cancers14194640

Entities

People

  • Artem Cherkasov
  • Mariia Radaeva
  • Xuesen Dong
  • Zhuohui Lin

Organizations

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • United States Department of Defense

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Molecular Biology and Genetics
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology