Aiding and abetting cancer: mRNA export and the nuclear pore

▶There is a causal link between mRNA export and oncogenesis.▶Changes to the nuclear pore alter mRNA export and cancer.▶Strategies are emerging to target mRNA export for therapeutic benefit.

mRNA export is a critical step in gene expression. Export of transcripts can be modulated in response to cellular signaling or stress. Consistently, mRNA export is dysregulated in primary human specimens derived from many different forms of cancer. Aberrant expression of export factors can alter the export of specific transcripts encoding proteins involved in proliferation, survival, and oncogenesis. These specific factors, which are not used for bulk mRNA export, are obvious therapeutic targets. Indeed, given the emerging role of mRNA export in cancer, it is not surprising that efforts to target different aspects of this pathway have reached the clinical trial stage. Thus, like transcription and translation, mRNA export may also play a critical role in cancer genesis and maintenance.