NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases: Promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer

Abstract

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligase family plays a pivotal oncogenic role in a variety of malignancies via mediating ubiquitin dependent degradation processes. Moreover, aberrant expression of NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases is often indicative of cancer progression and correlated with poor prognosis. In this review, we are going to address association of expression of NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases with cancers, the signaling pathways and the molecular mechanisms by which the NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases regulate oncogenesis and progression, and the therapies targeting the NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases. This review provides the systematic and comprehensive summary of the latest research status of E3 ubiquitin ligases in the NEDD4 subfamily, and proposes that NEDD4 family E3 ubiquitin ligases are promising anti-cancer drug targets, aiming to provide research direction for clinical targeting of NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligase therapy.

Keywords: Molecular mechanisms; NEDD4 E3 ubiquitin ligases; Oncogenesis and progression; Signaling pathways; Targeted drugs; Therapies.