Copine 3 as a Novel Potential Drug Target for Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma

Cancer originates from uncontrolled cell division in any part of the body. The universal burden of cancer continues to increase, and its treatment remains ever more challenging. Among several cancers, lung cancer is the second most common, causing 1.6 million deaths worldwide per year. Approximately 85% of lung cancers are non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs), which are considerably more difficult to treat than other cancers. Although various imaging, biopsy, and histopathological analyses are widely used, there are no effective or reliable biomarkers for detecting early lung carcinoma, particularly NSCLC. For this reason, the identification of novel biomarkers to serve as therapeutic targets is essential to NSCLC treatment. Copines are a family of membrane-binding proteins that are highly conserved, soluble, ubiquitously expressed, calcium dependent, and found in variety of eukaryotic organisms. Recent research suggests that they may mediate various signaling pathways involved in both tumor progression and metastasis. In the copine gene family, copine 3 is a novel player in regulating NSCLC metastasis. This review highlights copine 3 as a prognostic marker as well as a potential therapeutic target for effective treatment of patients with NSCLC.