Steroid receptor co-activator 3 and cancer: a hormonal to non-hormonal story

Steroid receptor co-activators (SRCs) constitute a family of transcriptional co-regulators that comprising three structurally similar members: SRC1, SRC2 and SRC3. Although extensive research has investigated the association between SRC3 and cancer, significant knowledge gaps persist. This review summarizes current research progress, identifies existing gaps, and proposes directions for future investigations. A systematic search of the PubMed database was conducted to identify literature relevant to the this topic. The study selection process, including inclusion and exclusion criteria, is presented in the accompanying figure following PRISMA guidelines. SRC3 plays a critical role in cancer development by promoting cancer cell proliferation and growth, enhancing tumor angiogenesis, modulating immune surveillance, influencing hormone signaling, and regulating diverse cytokines, including inflammatory mediators. It has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both hormonal and non-hormonal cancers. However, a substantial gap remain in clinical trials evaluating the therapeutic potential of SRC3-targeted interventions. Although research on SRC3 in hormone-related cancers is relatively comprehensive, its role in non-hormonal cancers and its clinical translation potential remain insufficiently explored. Future research should examine how SRC3 inhibition affects immune signaling pathways, the tumor and immune microenvironments, tumor heterogeneity, and various aspects of clinical translation, including novel drug development and diagnostic model design.