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Published on: May 27, 2021
Synthetic and Natural Inhibitors of Mortalin for Cancer Therapy
Shruti Kaushal1, Samriddhi Gupta1, Seyad Shefrin2
1Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi 110020, India.
Mortalin, a stress chaperone, drives cancer progression and resistance. Inhibitors targeting Mortalin show promise as novel anti-cancer therapeutics, offering new treatment avenues.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Mortalin (HSP70) chaperone upregulation is implicated in cellular malignant transformation, tumorigenesis, and cancer progression.
- Elevated Mortalin levels correlate with aggressive tumor stages, metastasis, drug resistance, and cancer relapse.
- Mortalin critically supports cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inhibits apoptosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the critical role of Mortalin in oncogenesis.
- To discuss emerging Mortalin inhibitors as potential anti-cancer drugs.
- To elucidate the anti-cancer potentials of various Mortalin inhibitors.
Main Methods:
- Review of in vitro and in vivo studies on Mortalin's role in cancer.
- Analysis of diverse Mortalin inhibitors including peptides, small RNAs, natural compounds, synthetic compounds, and antibodies.
- Evaluation of anti-cancer properties and mechanisms of action for identified inhibitors.
Main Results:
- Mortalin upregulation is a key driver of multiple hallmarks of cancer.
- Various classes of Mortalin inhibitors have demonstrated significant anti-cancer activities in preclinical studies.
- Inhibitors target Mortalin's pro-oncogenic functions, impacting cancer cell survival and proliferation.
Conclusions:
- Mortalin is a validated therapeutic target for various cancers due to its multifaceted role in oncogenesis.
- Mortalin inhibitors represent a promising class of novel anti-cancer agents.
- Further research into Mortalin-targeted therapies could lead to improved cancer treatment strategies.
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