Stress Granule-Driven Resistance in Cancer: Mechanisms and Emerging Strategies

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Oncology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Stress granules (SGs) are dynamic, membraneless organelles involved in cellular stress responses, translational control, and RNA metabolism.
• In cancer, SGs are implicated in mediating resistance to therapies, facilitating immune evasion, and metabolic reprogramming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanistic and clinical insights into SG kinetics in healthy versus cancer cells.
• To explore the role of SGs in cancer therapy resistance and their potential as therapeutic targets in precision oncology.

Main Methods:

• Literature review integrating current knowledge on SG formation triggers in cancer.
• Analysis of evidence on altered SG kinetics across tumor types and their interaction with the tumor microenvironment.
• Discussion of emerging therapeutic strategies targeting SGs.

Main Results:

• Chemotherapeutic agents, oncogenic signaling, and tumor microenvironmental stressors promote SG formation.
• Upregulation of SG components influences cancer cell behavior, adaptability, and resistance.
• Crosstalk between SGs and other biomolecular condensates contributes to therapeutic resistance.

Conclusions:

• Stress granules are central mediators of cancer therapy resistance, influencing apoptosis, metabolism, and immune responses.
• Targeting SG dynamics and components presents a promising avenue for novel cancer therapies.
• SGs represent tractable vulnerabilities within the tumor microenvironment for precision oncology strategies.