Targeting AAC-11 in cancer therapy

Abstract

Importance of the field: Since its discovery in 1997, the antiapoptotic factor AAC-11 has rapidly gained attention due to its potential use in cancer therapy. Indeed, most cancer cells express elevated levels of AAC-11, which is now known to be involved in both tumor cells growth as well as sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Areas covered in this review: In this review, we examine the most recent evidence about the role of AAC-11 in cancer biology and the therapeutic perspectives associated with its specific targeting. For that purpose, literature dealing with AAC-11 in the PubMed database was reviewed from 1997 up to date.

What the reader will gain: AAC-11 is an antiapoptotic gene that has the potential to be a target for anti-cancer therapy, and warrants further investigation. As its expression seems to predict unfavorable prognosis, at least in some cancers, it also may become a potent prognostic marker.

Take home message: Blocking AAC-11 function in cancer for therapeutic purposes might be of great interest. The recent report of efficient AAC-11 inhibiting peptides that sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs has raise the exciting notion that AAC-11 might be a druggable target and fueled the search for new therapeutic agents that could block AAC-11 function.

Keywords::

• AAC-11
• antisense
• apoptosis
• cancer
• E2F1
• peptide
• targeted therapy