Unconventional protein secretion (UPS): role in important diseases

Area of Science:

• Cellular Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Pathology

Background:

• Unconventional protein secretion (UPS) is a critical process for protein release, operating in both liquid and solid forms.
• Solid forms of UPS involve organelles like lysosomes, autophagy (APh), exosomes, and ectosomes (extracellular vesicles).
• UPS mechanisms and associated proteins are increasingly recognized for their roles in cellular functions and disease regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms of UPS in healthy cells and its involvement in various diseases.
• To highlight the critical role of UPS in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, inflammasomes, and cancer.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of UPS, particularly exosomes, in disease management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on UPS mechanisms and disease associations.
• Analysis of studies investigating UPS in neurodegeneration, inflammation, and cancer.
• Evaluation of research on exosome-based therapies derived from UPS.

Main Results:

• UPS governs protein secretion via lysosomes, autophagy, exosomes, and ectosomes.
• UPS plays a significant role in neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory responses, and various cancers, influencing growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance.
• Exosomes, a key component of UPS, demonstrate therapeutic promise due to their biocompatibility and ability to cross biological barriers, offering protection against cancer.

Conclusions:

• UPS is a fundamental secretion pathway with profound implications in health and disease.
• Targeting UPS mechanisms, especially through exosome-based strategies, offers promising avenues for novel cancer therapies and treatment of other diseases.
• Further research into UPS is expected to yield expanded therapeutic applications in the near future.