Abstract
The incidence of cancer is increasing at an alarming rate despite recent advances in prevention strategies, diagnostics and therapeutics for various types of cancer. The identification of novel biomarkers to aid in prognosis and treatment for cancer is urgently required. Uncontrolled proliferation and dysregulated apoptosis are characteristics exhibited by cancer cells in the initiation of various types of cancer. Notably, aberrant expression of crucial oncogenes or cancer suppressors is a defining event in cancer occurrence. Research has demonstrated that SAD1/UNC84 domain protein-2 (SUN2) serves a suppressive role in breast cancer, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors and lung cancer progression. Furthermore, SUN2 inhibits cancer cell proliferation, migration and promotes apoptosis. Recent reports have also shown that SUN2 serves prominent roles in resistance to the excessive DNA damage that destabilizes the genome and promotes cancer development, and these functions of SUN2 are critical for evading initiation of cancer. Additionally, increasing evidence has demonstrated that SUN2 is involved in maintaining cell nuclear structure and appears to be a central component for organizing the natural nuclear architecture in cancer cells. The focus of the present review is to provide an overview on the pharmacological functions of SUN2 in cancers. These findings suggest that SUN2 may serve as a promising therapeutic target and novel predictive marker in various types of cancer.
Highlights
The incidence of cancer is increasing at an alarming rate despite recent advances in prevention strategies, diagnostics and therapeutics for various types of cancer
SAD1/UNC84 domain protein‐2 (SUN2) exhibited suppression of lung cancer cell proliferation and migration and promotion of lung cancer cell apoptosis; SUN2 enhanced the chemotherapy sensitivity of lung cancer cells exposed to cisplatin, and higher SUN2 level predicts a better overall survival in lung cancer progression [12]
Lei et al confirmed that SUN2 is required for attenuating excessive DNA damage in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from SUN1‐/‐SUN2‐/‐ double knockout mice [16]
Summary
The LINC complex is a nuclear envelope protein complex that mainly consists of SUN and nesprin proteins, connecting nuclear lamina and cytoskeletal filaments [10], LINC complex characteristics of architecture framework helps to regulate the size and shape of the cell nucleus. Recent reports indicate that the SUN domain is at the center of a nucleocytoplasmic bridge that is essential for nuclear motility in cells [31]. These observations suggest that the structural characteristics of SUN2 are crucial for nuclear anchoring, migration, and positioning [19,22,29,30,32,33], centromere localization [34] and regulating the tethering of meiotic telomere [26]. SUN2 may possess anti‐cancer by regulating atypical nuclei structures in cancer cells
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
