A review on ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3): Roles in cancer and its resistance to drugs

Ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3) is a component of the small subunit of the eukaryotic ribosome, contributing to ribosome maturation and the initiation of translation. In addition to its canonical roles, accumulating evidence highlights a range of extra-ribosomal functions for RPS3 in diverse cellular processes. Notably, RPS3 enhances activation of the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway by interacting with the P65 subunit of the NF-κB complex. Given that NF-κB pathway is implicated in tumorigenesis and resistance to anticancer therapies, RPS3-mediated activation of this pathway suggests a potential role for RPS3 in cancer progression and drug resistance. Supporting this, elevated RPS3 expression has been observed in malignant tumors, despite the generally ubiquitous expression of RPS3 mRNA and protein is normal human tissues without notable tissue- or cell-type specificity. Despite these observations, the roles of RPS3 in oncogenic processes and its clinical implications insufficiently characterized. In this review, we examine the current literature to explore the contribution of RPS3 to cancer development and drug resistance.