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Review
. 2020 May 24;11(1):193.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-01703-w.

Intracellular functions of RNA-binding protein, Musashi1, in stem and cancer cells

Mahboobeh Forouzanfar  1 , Liana Lachinani  2 , Kianoush Dormiani  3 , Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani  4   5 , Ali Osmay Gure  6 , Kamran Ghaedi  7   8
Affiliations
Review

Intracellular functions of RNA-binding protein, Musashi1, in stem and cancer cells

Mahboobeh Forouzanfar et al. Stem Cell Res Ther. .

Abstract

RNA-binding protein, musashi1 (MSI1), is a main protein in asymmetric cell division of the sensory organ precursor cells, whereas its expression is reported to be upregulated in cancers. This protein is a critical element in proliferation of stem and cancer stem cells, which acts through Wnt and Notch signaling pathways. Moreover, MSI1 modulates malignancy and chemoresistance of lung cancer cells via activating the Akt signaling. Due to the main role of MSI1 in metastasis and cancer development, MSI1 would be an appropriate candidate for cancer therapy. Downregulation of MSI1 inhibits proliferation of cancer stem cells and reduces the growth of solid tumors in several cancers. On the other hand, MSI1 expression is regulated by microRNAs in such a way that several different tumor suppressor miRNAs negatively regulate oncogenic MSI1 and inhibit migration and tumor metastasis. The aim of this review is summarizing the role of MSI1 in stem cell proliferation and cancer promotion.

Keywords: Cancer progression; Cancer stem cells; Musashi, RNA-binding protein.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The main signaling pathways for proliferation, invasion, and migration of stem and cancer stem cells in which MSI1 is involved
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Different signaling pathways which are mediated by MSI1 upon chemotherapy and radiotherapy approaches in a variety of cancers
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Schematic representation for the functions of MSI1 in various cancer types. Downregulation of Msi1 by binding of tumor suppressor miRNAs could inhibit the growth of tumor cells in different solid tumors. Furthermore, some small molecules like luteolin and gossypol could interact with RNA binding domain1 (RBD1) in CDS of MSI1 and prevent proliferation of cancer cells and migration. But RNA-binding protein HuR stabilizes MSI1 and promotes gliblastoma by binding to 3′UTR of MSI1
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