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Roles of the cytoskeleton in human diseases
Mengxin Li1, Li Peng2, Zhenming Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Department of Cardiology and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, 610021, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
Recently, researches have revealed the key roles of the cytoskeleton in the occurrence and development of multiple diseases, suggesting that targeting the cytoskeleton is a viable approach for treating numerous refractory diseases. The cytoskeleton is a highly structured and complex network composed of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. In normal cells, these three cytoskeleton components are highly integrated and coordinated. However, the cytoskeleton undergoes drastic remodeling in cytoskeleton-related diseases, causing changes in cell polarity, affecting the cell cycle, leading to senescent diseases, and influencing cell migration to accelerate cancer metastasis. Additionally, mutations or abnormalities in cytoskeletal proteins and their related proteins are closely associated with several congenital diseases. Therefore, this review summarizes the roles of the cytoskeleton in cytoskeleton-related diseases as well as its potential roles in disease treatment to provide insights regarding the physiological functions and pathological roles of the cytoskeleton.
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