The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in defining cancer EMT

Yuan Li¹, Yuqing Feng², Songmei Geng³, Feng Xu⁴, Hui Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
² Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, PR China.
³ Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, PR China.
⁴ MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China. Electronic address: fengxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China. Electronic address: guohui@xjtufh.edu.cn.

PMID: 39038510
DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122931

Review

The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in defining cancer EMT

Yuan Li et al. Life Sci. 2024.

. 2024 Sep 15:353:122931.

doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122931. Epub 2024 Jul 20.

Authors

Yuan Li¹, Yuqing Feng², Songmei Geng³, Feng Xu⁴, Hui Guo⁵

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
² Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, PR China.
³ Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, PR China.
⁴ MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China. Electronic address: fengxu@mail.xjtu.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China. Electronic address: guohui@xjtufh.edu.cn.

PMID: 39038510
DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2024.122931

Abstract

Cancer EMT is a pivotal process that drives carcinogenesis, metastasis, and cancer recurrence, with its initiation and regulation intricately governed by biochemical pathways in a precise spatiotemporal manner. Recently, the membrane-less biomolecular condensates formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have emerged as a universal mechanism underlying the spatiotemporal collaboration of biological activities in cancer EMT. In this review, we first elucidate the current understanding of LLPS formation and its cellular functions, followed by an overview of valuable tools for investigating LLPS. Secondly, we examine in detail the LLPS-mediated biological processes crucial for the initiation and regulation of cancer EMT. Lastly, we address current challenges in advancing LLPS research and explore the potential modulation of LLPS using therapeutic agents.

Keywords: Cancer; EMT; Liquid-liquid phase separation; Mechanobiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in defining cancer EMT

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The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in defining cancer EMT

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