Cancer cell adaptability: turning ribonucleoprotein granules into targets

Trends Cancer. 2021 Oct;7(10):902-915. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.05.006. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

Abstract

Stress granules (SGs) and processing bodies (P-bodies) are membraneless cytoplasmic condensates of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). They both regulate RNA fate under physiological and pathological conditions, and are thereby involved in the regulation and maintenance of cellular integrity. During tumorigenesis, cancer cells use these granules to thrive, to adapt to the harsh conditions of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and to protect themselves from anticancer treatments. This ability to provide multiple outcomes not only makes RNP granules promising targets for cancer therapy but also emphasizes the need for more knowledge about the biology of these granules to achieve clinical use. In this review we focus on the role of RNP granules in cancer, and on how their composition and regulation might be used to elaborate therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: cancer; post-transcriptional regulation; processing bodies; stress granules; therapeutic target; translation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cytoplasmic Granules*
  • Cytoplasmic Ribonucleoprotein Granules
  • Neoplasms*
  • Processing Bodies
  • Ribonucleoproteins
  • Stress Granules

Substances

  • Ribonucleoproteins