Ligands Stimulating Antitumour Immunity As the Next G-quadruplex Challenge

Overview

Journal Mol Cancer

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Molecular Biology
Oncology

Date 2022 Sep 16

PMID 36114513

Authors

Giulia Miglietta

Jessica Marinello

Marco Russo

Giovanni Capranico

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

G-quadruplex (G4) binders have been investigated to discover new anticancer drugs worldwide in past decades. As these ligands are generally not highly cytotoxic, the discovery rational was mainly based on increasing the cell-killing potency. Nevertheless, no G4 binder has been shown yet to be effective in cancer patients. Here, G4 binder activity at low dosages will be discussed as a critical feature to discover ligands with therapeutic effects in cancer patients. Specific effects of G4 binders al low doses have been reported to occur in cancer and normal cells. Among them, genome instability and the stimulation of cytoplasmic processes related to autophagy and innate immune response open to the use of G4 binders as immune-stimulating agents. Thus, we propose a new rational of drug discovery, which is not based on cytotoxic potency but rather on immune gene activation at non-cytotoxic dosage.

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