Role of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors in non-small cell lung cancer.

Conventionally, Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) are known activators of Rho guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) that promote tumorigenesis. However, the role of Rho GEFs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. Through the screening of 81 Rho GEFs for their expression profiles and correlations with survival, four of them were identified with strong significance for predicting the prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Rho GTPases in cancer radiotherapy and metastasis.

Despite treatment advances, radioresistance and metastasis markedly impair the benefits of radiotherapy to patients with malignancies. Functioning as molecular switches, Rho guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) have well-recognized roles in regulating various downstream signaling pathways in a wide range of cancers. In recent years, accumulating evidence indicates the involvement of Rho GTPases in cancer radiotherapeutic efficacy and metastasis, as well as radiation-induced metastasis.

Rho GTPases: Promising candidates for overcoming chemotherapeutic resistance.

Despite therapeutic advances, resistance to chemotherapy remains a major challenge to patients with malignancies. Rho GTPases are essential for the development and progression of various diseases including cancer, and a vast number of studies have linked Rho GTPases to chemoresistance. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms can expound the effects of Rho GTPases towards chemotherapeutic agents, and targeting Rho GTPases is a promising strategy to downregulate the chemo-protective pathways and overcome chemoresistance.

RAC1 inhibition reverses cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and induces downregulation of glycolytic enzymes.

Development of chemoresistance remains a major challenge in treating esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients despite treatment advances. However, the role of RAC1 in chemoresistance of ESCC and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we found that higher levels of RAC1 expression were associated with poorer prognosis in ESCC patients.