Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression
Cofilin is a pivotal actin-binding protein that plays a central role in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics, contributing to essential cellular processes such as migration, invasion, intracellular trafficking, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of cofilin is increasingly recognized to play a role in the path...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Bio-X Research |
| Online Access: | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/jbioxresearch.0048 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849415403064786944 |
|---|---|
| author | J. Renukadevi D. S. Mridula K. Nimithasree V. Sanjay |
| author_facet | J. Renukadevi D. S. Mridula K. Nimithasree V. Sanjay |
| author_sort | J. Renukadevi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cofilin is a pivotal actin-binding protein that plays a central role in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics, contributing to essential cellular processes such as migration, invasion, intracellular trafficking, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of cofilin is increasingly recognized to play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of various cancers, including gliomas and colorectal, breast, and bladder cancers. Cofilin facilitates cancer cell motility and metastasis by severing actin filaments, promoting invadopodia formation, and inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Cofilin also modulates oncogenic signaling pathways, such as the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Rho guanosine triphosphatase pathways, and influences mitochondrial dynamics, thereby contributing to apoptosis resistance, metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. Recent advances in high-resolution imaging and multiomics analyses have revealed the spatiotemporal regulation of cofilin in the tumor microenvironment and its potential for use as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Elevated cofilin expression is correlated with poor clinical outcomes and resistance to therapies, making cofilin an attractive target for cancer treatment. Preclinical models have demonstrated that targeting cofilin or its upstream regulators can improve therapeutic responses and suppress metastasis. This review explores the structural, functional, and regulatory roles of cofilin in cancer biology and highlights its emerging therapeutic potential. Future research should focus on the development of selective inhibitors and personalized treatment strategies to leverage cofilin as a target in precision oncology. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f702793fbbe4c86817f250e7895b080 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2577-3585 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Bio-X Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f702793fbbe4c86817f250e7895b0802025-08-20T03:33:32ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Journal of Bio-X Research2577-35852025-01-01810.34133/jbioxresearch.0048Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and ProgressionJ. Renukadevi0D. S. Mridula1K. Nimithasree2V. Sanjay3Department of Pharmaceutics, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, India.Department of Pharmaceutics, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, India.Department of Pharmaceutics, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, India.Department of Pharmaceutics, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, India.Cofilin is a pivotal actin-binding protein that plays a central role in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics, contributing to essential cellular processes such as migration, invasion, intracellular trafficking, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of cofilin is increasingly recognized to play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of various cancers, including gliomas and colorectal, breast, and bladder cancers. Cofilin facilitates cancer cell motility and metastasis by severing actin filaments, promoting invadopodia formation, and inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Cofilin also modulates oncogenic signaling pathways, such as the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Rho guanosine triphosphatase pathways, and influences mitochondrial dynamics, thereby contributing to apoptosis resistance, metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion. Recent advances in high-resolution imaging and multiomics analyses have revealed the spatiotemporal regulation of cofilin in the tumor microenvironment and its potential for use as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Elevated cofilin expression is correlated with poor clinical outcomes and resistance to therapies, making cofilin an attractive target for cancer treatment. Preclinical models have demonstrated that targeting cofilin or its upstream regulators can improve therapeutic responses and suppress metastasis. This review explores the structural, functional, and regulatory roles of cofilin in cancer biology and highlights its emerging therapeutic potential. Future research should focus on the development of selective inhibitors and personalized treatment strategies to leverage cofilin as a target in precision oncology.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/jbioxresearch.0048 |
| spellingShingle | J. Renukadevi D. S. Mridula K. Nimithasree V. Sanjay Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression Journal of Bio-X Research |
| title | Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression |
| title_full | Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression |
| title_fullStr | Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression |
| title_short | Cofilin in Cancer: A Molecular Review of Its Role in Tumor Plasticity and Progression |
| title_sort | cofilin in cancer a molecular review of its role in tumor plasticity and progression |
| url | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/jbioxresearch.0048 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jrenukadevi cofilinincanceramolecularreviewofitsroleintumorplasticityandprogression AT dsmridula cofilinincanceramolecularreviewofitsroleintumorplasticityandprogression AT knimithasree cofilinincanceramolecularreviewofitsroleintumorplasticityandprogression AT vsanjay cofilinincanceramolecularreviewofitsroleintumorplasticityandprogression |