RNA-binding proteins as drivers of AML and novel therapeutic targets

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of genetically complex and heterogeneous invasive hematological malignancies with a low 5-year overall survival rate of 30%, which highlights the urgent need for improved treatment measures. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the abundance of isoforms of related proteins by regulating RNA splicing, translation, stability, and localization, thereby affecting cell differentiation and self-renewal. It is increasingly believed that RBPs are essential for normal hematopoiesis, and RBPs play a key role in hematological tumors, especially AML, by acting as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In addition, targeting an RBP that is significantly related to AML can trigger the apoptosis of leukemic stem cells or promote the proliferation of stem and progenitor cells by modulating the expression of important pathway regulatory factors such as HOXA9, MYC, and CDKN1A. Accordingly, RBPs involved in normal myeloid differentiation and the occurrence of AML may represent promising therapeutic targets.

Keywords:

• Acute myeloid leukemia
• RNA-binding protein
• therapy
• oncogenes
• tumor suppressors

Acknowledgments

We thank Medjaden Bioscience Limited (http://online.medjaden.com) for their language assistance during the preparation of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, with grant numbers [81560033 and 81860034].