Stress granules, P-bodies and cancer

•Stress granules and PBs house cancer-associated RNA-binding proteins.•Many stress granule-associated proteins are aberrantly expressed in cancer.•SG and PB-associated proteins alter gene expression and cancer initiation/progression.•Chemotherapy drugs modulate assembly of stress granules.•SGs and PBs are potential targets and biomarkers for cancer therapy.

Cancer cells are exposed to adverse conditions in the tumor microenvironment, and utilize post-transcriptional control mechanisms to re-program gene expression in ways that enhance cell survival. Stress granules and processing bodies are RNA-containing granules that contribute to this process by modulating cellular signaling pathways, metabolic machinery, and stress response programs. This review examines evidence implicating RNA granules in the pathogenesis of cancer and discusses their potential as targets for anticancer therapies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translation and Cancer.