The Versatile Role of HuR in Glioblastoma and Its Potential As a Therapeutic Target for a Multi-pronged Attack

Overview

Journal Adv Drug Deliv Rev

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2021 Dec 19

PMID 34923029

Citations 8

Authors

Abhishek Guha

Saboora Waris

Louis B Nabors

Natalia Filippova

Myriam Gorospe

Thaddaeus Kwan

Peter H King

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant and aggressive brain tumor with a median survival of ∼15 months. Resistance to treatment arises from the extensive cellular and molecular heterogeneity in the three major components: glioma tumor cells, glioma stem cells, and tumor-associated microglia and macrophages. Within this triad, there is a complex network of intrinsic and secreted factors that promote classic hallmarks of cancer, including angiogenesis, resistance to cell death, proliferation, and immune evasion. A regulatory node connecting these diverse pathways is at the posttranscriptional level as mRNAs encoding many of the key drivers contain adenine- and uridine rich elements (ARE) in the 3' untranslated region. Human antigen R (HuR) binds to ARE-bearing mRNAs and is a major positive regulator at this level. This review focuses on basic concepts of ARE-mediated RNA regulation and how targeting HuR with small molecule inhibitors represents a plausible strategy for a multi-pronged therapeutic attack on GBM.

Citing Articles

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Structural, biological, and biomedical implications of mRNA interactions with the master regulator HuR.

Clark M, Farinha A, Morrison A, Lisi G NAR Mol Med. 2025; 2(1):ugaf002.

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Hypoxia-induced circPLOD2a/b promotes the aggressiveness of glioblastoma by suppressing XIRP1 through binding to HuR.

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ELAVL2 loss promotes aggressive mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma.

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