title: Targeting SMARCAL1 as a novel strategy for cancer therapy.
abstract: SMARCAL1 is a SNF2 chromatin-remodeling protein with ATP-dependent annealing helicase activity. Recent studies have shown that SMARCAL1 is involved in DNA damage repair and cell cycle progression. Deficiency of SMARCAL1 enhances the anticancer activity of chemotherapy agents and reverses cancer cell resistance to these agents. Therefore, targeting SMARCAL1 is an attractive therapeutic approach for cancers with defects in DNA damage repair or cell cycle checkpoints. Here, we review advances in our understanding of the biochemical and cellular functions of SMARCAL1 made over the recent years and discuss the rationale for development of SMARCAL1 inhibitors as novel anticancer therapies.
authors.affiliation: Drug Discovery Lab, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shengjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Heping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D004249:DNA Damage; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000235:genetics; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D015195:Drug Design; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C412482:SMARCAL1 protein, human; D004265:DNA Helicases