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Updated: Sep 29, 2025

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Protein synthesis control in cancer: selectivity and therapeutic targeting

Joanna R Kovalski1,2, Duygu Kuzuoglu-Ozturk1,2, Davide Ruggero1,2,3

  • 1Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.

The EMBO Journal
|March 22, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells exploit mRNA translation for growth and survival, presenting a therapeutic target. This review explores targeting translational control for novel anti-cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cancer cells utilize mRNA translational control to adapt to limited resources and maintain growth.
  • This adaptive mechanism creates a selective therapeutic window for targeting cancer cells.
  • Oncogenic signals converge on translational control, influencing protein expression during tumorigenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how cancer cells modulate translational machinery for protein synthesis.
  • To highlight the clinical potential of targeting translation factors as anti-cancer therapies.
  • To detail the role of RNA elements and RNA-binding proteins in coordinating translation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on translational control in cancer.
  • Analysis of oncogenic signaling pathways impacting translation.
  • Discussion of RNA sequence and structural elements in translational regulation.
  • Overview of emerging technologies for studying translational control.

Main Results:

  • Cancer cells selectively synthesize proteins by modulating the translational machinery.
  • RNA sequence and structural elements, along with RNA-binding proteins, coordinate pro-survival and pro-growth translation.
  • Compounds targeting translation factors show clinical potential as anti-cancer agents.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting mRNA translation offers a promising strategy for cancer therapy.
  • Understanding selective translational control mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments.
  • Emerging technologies will further illuminate translational regulation in the tumor microenvironment.
Keywords:
cancerprotein synthesistranslation and protein qualitytranslation inhibitorstranslational control

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