Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 16, 2025

Establishment of Cancer Stem Cell Cultures from Human Conventional Osteosarcoma
09:25

Establishment of Cancer Stem Cell Cultures from Human Conventional Osteosarcoma

Published on: October 14, 2016

19.3K

SUMO wrestling cancer stem cells

Qiang Liu1, Jean C Y Wang2, Stephanie Z Xie1

  • 1Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Cell Chemical Biology
|October 22, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified a novel inhibitor targeting sumoylation, a process linked to cancer. This compound demonstrated anti-proliferative effects in cancer stem cell models by acting on the SAE2 enzyme.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Sumoylation is a critical reversible post-translational modification.
  • Aberrant sumoylation pathways are frequently implicated in the development and progression of various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize novel inhibitors of sumoylation.
  • To evaluate the anti-cancer potential of a novel sumoylation inhibitor in cancer stem cell models.

Main Methods:

  • Chemical screening for sumoylation inhibitors.
  • Biochemical assays to confirm enzyme inhibition.
  • In vitro studies using cancer stem cell models.

Main Results:

  • Discovery of a novel small molecule inhibitor targeting the sumoylation pathway.
  • Demonstration of anti-proliferative effects of the inhibitor in cancer stem cell models.
  • Identification of the sumoylation enzyme SAE2 as a key target.

Conclusions:

  • The novel sumoylation inhibitor exhibits therapeutic potential against cancer stem cells.
  • Targeting SAE2 via sumoylation inhibition offers a promising strategy for cancer treatment.

More Related Videos

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors07:01

Obtaining Cancer Stem Cell Spheres from Gynecological and Breast Cancer Tumors

Published on: March 1, 2020

10.4K
Tumorsphere Derivation and Treatment from Primary Tumor Cells Isolated from Mouse Rhabdomyosarcomas09:21

Tumorsphere Derivation and Treatment from Primary Tumor Cells Isolated from Mouse Rhabdomyosarcomas

Published on: September 13, 2019

7.3K

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...
5.1K
Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration01:21

Stem Cell Therapy for Tissue Regeneration

Stem cell therapy is a method used in regenerative medicine to repair and restore function to damaged tissues and organs. Stem cells have the potential to proliferate and differentiate into various tissue types, making them ideal candidates for tissue regeneration. For example, hematopoietic stem cell transplants are commonly used in blood cancer treatment to replenish damaged bone marrow and restore healthy blood cells.
Types of Stem Cells used in Stem Cell Therapy
The two main cell...
4.3K
Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell02:21

Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell

Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
13.2K
Mesenchymal Stem Cells01:19

Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells that can differentiate into most connective tissue cell types, except for hematopoietic cells, depending upon the source of MSCs. For example, bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into osteocytes, hepatocytes, and pancreatic and neuronal cells. MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow, placenta, adipose tissue, teeth, and Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord. The ease of their...
5.1K
Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells01:18

Distinctive Features of Adult Stem Cells vs Cancer Stem Cells

A stem cell is an unspecialized cell that can divide without limit as needed and can, under specific conditions, differentiate into specialized cells.
Adult stem cells
Adult stem cells are tissue-specific; hence, they divide to develop the tissue from which they originate. One type of adult stem cell is the epithelial stem cell, which gives rise to the keratinocytes in the multiple layers of epithelial cells in the epidermis of the skin. Adult bone marrow has three distinct types of stem cells:...
3.7K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.9K