Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 7, 2025
08:45
Assessing Cellular Target Engagement by SHP2 PTPN11 Phosphatase Inhibitors
Published on: July 17, 2020
6.4K
SENP Proteases as Potential Targets for Cancer Therapy
Paulina Tokarz1, Katarzyna Woźniak1
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland.
Cancers
|April 30, 2021
Summary
Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteases (SENPs) play a key role in cancer development by affecting DNA repair and cell cycle pathways. Inhibitors targeting SENPs show promise as a novel anti-cancer therapeutic strategy.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- SUMOylation is a crucial post-translational modification (PTM) regulating protein function.
- SUMO-specific proteases (SENPs) are essential for deconjugating SUMO proteins, maintaining protein homeostasis.
- Aberrant SENP expression is linked to cancer development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of SENPs in cancer pathogenesis.
- To explore how SENPs influence DNA repair and cell cycle pathways in cancer.
- To discuss the development and therapeutic potential of SENP inhibitors.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on SENPs in cancer.
- Analysis of SENP involvement in DNA repair and cell cycle regulation.
- Overview of SENP inhibitor development, including computational methods.
Main Results:
- SENPs are implicated in critical cellular pathways frequently dysregulated in cancer.
- Inhibitors targeting SENPs have demonstrated efficacy in suppressing cancer cell proliferation.
- Prostate cancer cell proliferation was inhibited by certain SENP inhibitors in vitro and in vivo.
Conclusions:
- SENPs represent promising therapeutic targets for anti-cancer drug development.
- Development of isoform-specific SENP inhibitors is a key future direction.
- Targeting SENPs offers a potential strategy for novel cancer treatments.
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
8.0K
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.0K
01:27Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors
3.3K
Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
3.3K
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
5.5K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.5K
02:26Protein Networks
4.2K
An organism can have thousands of different proteins, and these proteins must cooperate to ensure the health of an organism. Proteins bind to other proteins and form complexes to carry out their functions. Many proteins interact with multiple other proteins creating a complex network of protein interactions.
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
These interactions can be represented through maps depicting protein-protein interaction networks, represented as nodes and edges. Nodes are circles that are representative of a protein,...
4.2K
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
7.3K
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.3K
02:18The Proteasome
9.4K
Eukaryotic cells can degrade proteins through several pathways. One of the most important amongst these is the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. It helps the cell eliminate the misfolded, damaged, or unwarranted cytoplasmic proteins in a highly specific manner.
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. A series of enzymes carry out the ubiquitination of the target proteins - E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. A series of enzymes carry out the ubiquitination of the target proteins - E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
9.4K