title: Aldehyde dehydrogenases in cancer: an opportunity for biomarker and drug development?
abstract: Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) belong to a superfamily of 19 isozymes that are known to participate in many physiologically important biosynthetic processes including detoxification of specific endogenous and exogenous aldehyde substrates. The high expression levels of an emerging number of ALDHs in various cancer tissues suggest that these enzymes have pivotal roles in cancer cell survival and progression. Mapping out the heterogeneity of tumours and their cancer stem cell (CSC) component will be key to successful design of strategies involving therapeutics that are targeted against specific ALDH isozymes. This review summarises recent progress in ALDH-focused cancer research and discovery of small-molecule-based inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK. Electronic address: k.pors1@bradford.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pors
authors.affiliation: Hematological Malignancies, PO Box 100278, Gainesville, FL 32610-0277, USA. Electronic address: jan.moreb@medicine.ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moreb
mesh_terms: D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000444:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase