: regulatory roles, cancer-associated signaling pathway disruptions, and therapeutic potential.

Introduction: () is a crucial post-transcriptional regulator of many mRNA transcripts and noncoding-RNAs, influencing cell proliferation, cancer cell stemness, apoptosis, and immune responses. Its abnormal expression is well-characterized in numerous cancers, establishing it as a significant genomic vulnerability and biomarker in cancer research.

Areas Covered: Here, we summarize 's correlation with poor patient outcomes across numerous cancers and the mechanisms governing 's activity and processing. We comprehensively describe 's involvement in multiple regulatory cancer signaling pathways, cellular processes, and the tumor microenvironment. We also discuss current therapeutic approaches to targeting , highlighting their limitations and future potential.

Expert Opinion: is a clinically relevant pan-cancer biomarker with potential as a therapeutic target. Its regulatory control of tumorigenic signaling pathways and immune responses positions it as a promising candidate for personalized treatments. The success of as a target relies on the development of specific therapeutics platforms. Future research on 's role in the tumor microenvironment and the RNA binding proteins that regulate its stability will help uncover new techniques to targeting . Further research into serum levels in patients undergoing therapy will help to better stratify patients and enhance therapeutic success.