Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
J Clin Lab Anal. 2023 May;37(9-10):e24927. doi: 10.1002/jcla.24927. Epub 2023 Jun 20.
SALL4 (split-like protein 4) is a member of the mammalian homologs of the Drosophila homoeotic gene spalt (sal) and acts as a zinc finger transcription factor to govern the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. SALL4 expression gradually decreases during development and is even absent in most adult tissues. However, increasing evidence suggests that SALL4 expression is restored in human cancers and its aberrant expression is associated with the progression of many hematopoietic malignancies and solid tumors. The potent roles of SALL4 in regulating cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and drug resistance have been reported. SALL4 plays a dual role in epigenetic modulation by acting as either an activator or a repressor of its target genes. Furthermore, SALL4 interacts with other partners to control the expression of many downstream genes and the activation of various key signaling transduction pathways. SALL4 is considered as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer. In this review, we highlighted the major advances in the roles and mechanisms of SALL4 in cancer and the therapeutic strategies for targeting SALL4 to treat cancer.
SALL4（分裂蛋白 4）是果蝇同源基因 spalt（sal）的哺乳动物同源物家族的成员，作为锌指转录因子，调控胚胎干细胞的自我更新和多能性。SALL4 的表达在发育过程中逐渐降低，在大多数成人组织中甚至不存在。然而，越来越多的证据表明 SALL4 在人类癌症中表达恢复，其异常表达与许多造血恶性肿瘤和实体瘤的进展相关。已有报道称，SALL4 在调节癌细胞增殖、凋亡、转移和耐药性方面发挥着重要作用。SALL4 通过作为其靶基因的激活剂或抑制剂来发挥在表观遗传调控中的双重作用。此外，SALL4 与其他伙伴相互作用，控制许多下游基因的表达和各种关键信号转导通路的激活。SALL4 被认为是癌症有前途的诊断和预后生物标志物和治疗靶点。在这篇综述中，我们强调了 SALL4 在癌症中的作用和机制方面的主要进展，以及针对 SALL4 治疗癌症的治疗策略。
