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Emerging roles of deubiquitinases in cancer-associated pathways

Joseph J Sacco1, Judy M Coulson, Michael J Clague

  • 1Physiological Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.

IUBMB Life
|January 15, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) regulate cancer pathways by controlling oncogene stability and signaling. These enzymes are promising future drug targets for cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are crucial enzymes involved in numerous cellular processes.
  • Dysregulation of DUBs is increasingly linked to the development and progression of various cancers.
  • DUBs can impact cancer by modulating the stability of oncogenes like c-Myc and influencing signaling pathways such as NF-kappaB.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on the association between DUBs and cancer.
  • To discuss the potential of DUBs as therapeutic targets for future cancer treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Comprehensive literature review of studies investigating DUBs in cancer.
  • Analysis of DUBs' roles in oncogene regulation and signaling pathways relevant to cancer.

Main Results:

  • DUBs play significant roles in cancer by regulating key oncogenes (e.g., USP28 stabilizing c-Myc).
  • DUBs also influence ubiquitin-dependent signaling pathways, including the negative regulation of NF-kappaB activation.
  • The literature supports a strong connection between DUB activity and cancer pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Deubiquitinases are critical regulators in cancer biology.
  • DUBs represent a promising class of targets for novel cancer drug development.

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