Etiopathogenic role of ERK5 signaling in sarcoma: prognostic and therapeutic implications

Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 19 June 2023; doi:10.1038/s12276-023-01008-xTherapies directed at a key signaling pathway could help reduce the growth of sarcomas, connective tissue cancers that affect fat, muscles, nerves and other tissues. Azucena Esparís-Ogando from the Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Spain, and colleagues showed that in a genetically engineered mouse model the activation of the MEK5 enzyme activates the ERK5 enzyme, a regulator of genes involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival, and promotes the development of soft-tissue sarcomas. Drugs that block MEK5 or ERK5 activity reduced the growth of sarcoma cell lines and sarcoma tumors implanted into mice. A similar drug strategy could be applicable in cancer treatment in humans given the authors’ demonstration that ERK5 is frequently overexpressed in human sarcomas and that patients with elevated ERK5 have worse survival outcomes.
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research