The function and regulatory mechanism of RNA-binding proteins in breast cancer and their future clinical treatment prospects

Xingjia Lu; Jian Zhong; Linlin Liu; Wenzhu Zhang; Shengdi Zhao; Liang Chen; Yuxian Wei; Hong Zhang; Jingxuan Wu; Wenlin Chen; Fei Ge

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.929037

The function and regulatory mechanism of RNA-binding proteins in breast cancer and their future clinical treatment prospects

Front Oncol. 2022 Aug 16:12:929037. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.929037. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xingjia Lu^{1

2}, Jian Zhong^{3

4}, Linlin Liu⁵, Wenzhu Zhang^{1

2}, Shengdi Zhao^{1

2}, Liang Chen¹, Yuxian Wei⁶, Hong Zhang^{1

2}, Jingxuan Wu^{1

2}, Wenlin Chen⁷, Fei Ge¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Breast Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
² Kunming Medical University, No. 1 School of Clinical Medicine, Kunming, China.
³ Department of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
⁴ Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
⁵ School of Forensic Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
⁶ Department of Endocrine Breast Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁷ Third Department of Breast Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common female malignancy, but the mechanisms regulating gene expression leading to its development are complex. In recent years, as epigenetic research has intensified, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been identified as a class of posttranscriptional regulators that can participate in regulating gene expression through the regulation of RNA stabilization and degradation, intracellular localization, alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation, and translational control. RBPs play an important role in the development of normal mammary glands and breast cancer. Functional inactivation or abnormal expression of RBPs may be closely associated with breast cancer development. In this review, we focus on the function and regulatory mechanisms of RBPs in breast cancer, as well as the advantages and challenges of RBPs as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets in breast cancer, and discuss the potential of RBPs in clinical treatment.

Keywords: CPEB4; HuR; LIN28; RNA-binding protein; Sam68; breast cancer.

Publication types

Review