Shed lights on SUN1 for cancer treatments
Dr. Yufeng Tong
University of Windsor
FUNDER: Equally Science, Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI)
DURATION: 2023-2024
Dysregualtion of the cell cycle and cell migration and differentiation are key drivers of tumorigenesis and metastases. Recently, the SUN1 protein has been identified as a crucial link between the CDK2/SPY1 kinase complex and the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex. SUN1 plays a critical role in bridging cell cycle progression with cell migration. Genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 studies have identifed SUN1 as a vulnerability gene in multiple cancers, making SUN1 a promising target for cancer therapy. By identifying the missing link between cell cycle regulation and cell migration and disrupting the SPY1-SUN1 interaction, this will determine if this disruption could effectively reduce cancer cell proliferation.
By identifying first-in-class inhibitors that target the SPY1-mediated CDK2 cancer signalling pathway, this could provide a new avenue for cancer therapy, particularly for patients with cancers that have vulnerabilities in the LINC complex. This line of research could lead to the development of novel cancer therapies, contributing to better patient outcomes.
