SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2

Zinc Finger Proteins in Gastric, Pancreatic, and Prostate Cancers: Molecular Functions, Biomarker Potential, and Therapeutic Opportunities

Gastrik, Pankreas ve Prostat Kanserlerinde Çinko Parmak Proteinleri: Moleküler İşlevleri, Biyobelirteç Potansiyeli ve Terapötik Olanakları

Seda Beyaz(Fırat Üniversitesi)0000-0003-0436-8112
Beyza Nur Ekşi(FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0007-7167-8926
Hacer Beyza Öztürk(FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0005-2006-5746
Ayşenur Büyüksungur(FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0003-2510-8683
Abdullah Aslan(FIRAT ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6243-4221
Pages
395–404
Publication Date
2025-12-24
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These multifaceted roles underscore the potential of ZFPs as valuable molecular targets in the development of novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics across various tumor types.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying cancer progression is crucial for enhancing diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
📊
Key Findings & Data:This study aims to investigate the structural and functional characteristics of Zinc Finger Proteins (ZFPs) and elucidate their roles in cancer biology.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:These multifaceted roles underscore the potential of ZFPs as valuable molecular targets in the development of novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics across various tumor types.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Apoptoz · Biyobelirteç · Çinko Parmak Proteinleri

Abstract

Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying cancer progression is crucial for enhancing diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This study aims to investigate the structural and functional characteristics of Zinc Finger Proteins (ZFPs) and elucidate their roles in cancer biology. As transcriptional regulators, ZFPs participate in critical cellular processes such as gene expression control, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. By evaluating these roles, the study explores the potential of ZFPs as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets in cancers such as gastric, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. ZFPs contribute to key cellular functions including transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodeling, and cellular differentiation. In oncogenic contexts, they modulate mechanisms like cell cycle control, EMT, metastasis, suppression of apoptosis, inflammation, and drug resistance. These multifaceted roles underscore the potential of ZFPs as valuable molecular targets in the development of novel cancer diagnostics and therapeutics across various tumor types.

Özet

Kanserin ilerlemesinde rol oynayan biyolojik mekanizmaların anlaşılması, tanı, tedavi ve prognostik süreçlerin iyileştirilmesi açısından hayati öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışma, Çinko Parmak Proteinleri'nin (Zinc Finger Proteins, ZFPs) yapısal ve fonksiyonel özelliklerini incelemeyi ve bu proteinlerin kanser biyolojisindeki rollerini açıklamayı amaçlamaktadır. ZFP’ler, transkripsiyonel düzenleyiciler olarak gen ekspresyonunun kontrolü, hücre çoğalması, farklılaşma, apoptoz, epitel-mezenkimal geçiş (EMT), metastaz ve kemoterapi direnci gibi kritik hücresel süreçlerde görev almaktadır. Bu rollerin değerlendirilmesiyle, mide, pankreas ve prostat kanseri gibi bazı kanser türlerinde ZFP’lerin tanı, prognoz ve tedavi açısından potansiyel hedefler olarak taşıdığı önemin ortaya konması hedeflenmektedir. ZFP’ler; transkripsiyonel düzenleme, kromatin yeniden yapılandırılması ve hücresel farklılaşma gibi temel hücresel işlevlere katkıda bulunurlar. Onkojenik bağlamda ise, hücre döngüsü kontrolü, EMT, metastaz, apoptozun baskılanması, inflamasyon ve ilaç direnci gibi mekanizmaları düzenlerler. Bu çok yönlü roller, ZFP’lerin çeşitli tümör tiplerinde yeni tanı ve tedavi stratejilerinin geliştirilmesinde değerli moleküler hedefler olabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

🔖

Cite This Article

Beyaz, S., Ekşi, B. N., Öztürk, H. B., Büyüksungur, A., Aslan, A. (2025). Zinc Finger Proteins in Gastric, Pancreatic, and Prostate Cancers: Molecular Functions, Biomarker Potential, and Therapeutic Opportunities. Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 2, 395–404. https://doi.org/10.18586/msufbd.1739677

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (42)

  1. Ajani J.A., Barthel J.S., Bekaii-Saab T., Bentrem D.J., D’Amico T.A., Das P., Denlinger C., Fuchs C.S., Gerdes H., Hayman. J.A., Hazard L., Hofstetter W.L., Ilson D.H., Keswani R.N., Kleinberg L.R., Korn M., Meredith K., Mulcahy M.F., Orringer M.B., Osarogiagbon R.U., Posey J.A., Sasson A.R., Scott W.J., Shibata S., Strong V.E.M., Washington M.K., Willett C., Wood D.E., Wright C.D., Yang G. Gastric cancer, Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 8(4), 378-409. 2010.
  2. An G., Feng L., Hou L., Li X., Bai J., He L., Gu S., Zhao X., A bioinformatics analysis of zinc finger protein family reveals potential oncogenic biomarkers in breast cancer. Gene, 828, 146471. 2022.
  3. Bai F., Xiao K. Prediction of gastric cancer risk: Association between ZBTB20 genetic variance and gastric cancer risk in Chinese Han population. Bioscience Reports, 40(9), BSR20202102. 2020.
  4. Bluemn E.G., Nelson P.S. The androgen/androgen receptor axis in prostate cancer. Current Opinion in Oncology, 24(3), 251-257. 2012.
  5. Boustani M., Hall K.S., Lane K.A., Aljadhey H., Gao S., Unverzagt F., Murray M.D., Ogunniyi A., Hendrie H. The association between cognition and histamine‐2 receptor antagonists in African Americans. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55(8), 1248-1253. 2007.
  6. Cao L., Lin G., Fan D., Weng K., Chen Y., Wang J., Li P., Zheng C., Huang C., Xie J. NUAK1 activates STAT5/GLI1/SOX2 signaling to enhance cancer cell expansion and drives chemoresistance in gastric cancer. Cell Reports, 43(7), 114446. 2024.
  7. Cao L., Wang S., Zhang Y., Wong K. C., Nakatsu G., Wang X., Wong S., Ji J., Yu J. Zinc-finger protein 471 suppresses gastric cancer through transcriptionally repressing downstream oncogenic PLS3 and TFAP2A. Oncogene, 37(26), 3601–3616. 2018.
  8. Cassandri M., Smirnov A., Novelli F., Pitolli C., Agostini M., Malewicz M., Raschella G. Zinc finger proteins in health and disease. Cell Death Discovery, 3(1), 17071. 2017.
  9. Chen H., Lu W., Huang C., Ding K., Xia D., Wu Y., Cai M. Prognostic significance of ZEB1 and ZEB2 in digestive cancers: a cohort-based analysis and secondary analysis. Oncotarget, 8(19), 31435. 2017.
  10. Chen J., Zhang D., Yan W., Yang D., Shen B. Translational bioinformatics for diagnostic and prognostic prediction of prostate cancer in the next‐generation sequencing era. BioMed Research International, 2013(1), 901578. 2013.
  11. Chiarella E., Aloisio A., Scicchitano S., Bond H.M., Mesuraca M. Regulatory role of microRNAs targeting the transcription co-factor ZNF521 in normal tissues and cancers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(16), 8461-8473. 2021.
  12. Del Rizzo P.A., Trievel R.C. Substrate and product specificities of SET domain methyltransferases. Epigenetics, 6(9), 1059–1067. 2011.
  13. Diaz-Riascos Z.V., Ginesta M.M., Fabregat J., Serrano T., Busquets J., Buscail L., Cordelier P., Vasseur S., Capella G. Expression and role of microRNAs from the miR-200 family in the tumor formation and metastatic propensity of pancreatic cancer. Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids, 17, 491–503. 2019.
  14. Drapela S., Bouchal J., Jolly M.K., Culig Z., Soucek K. ZEB1: A critical regulator of cell plasticity, DNA damage response, and therapy resistance. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 7, 36. 2020.
  15. Duan P., Li B., Zhou Y., Cao H., Chen S., Xing Y. ZBTB20 suppresses tumor growth in glioblastoma through activating the TET1/FAS/caspase‑3 pathway. Oncology Letters, 28(2), 358-367. 2024.
  16. GLOBOCAN. Cancer Today 2022. (https://gco.iarc.fr/today/en/dataviz/bars?types=0_1&mode=population), 08.07.2025
  17. Hao Y.J., Li Y., Fan L.Q., Zhao Q., Tan B.B., Jiao Z.K., Zhao X.F., Zhang Z.D., Wang D. Role of RNA-interference-induced zinc finger protein 139 suppression in gastric cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Oncology Letters, 10(3), 1333–1338. 2015.
  18. He Z., Zhong Y., Hu H., Li F. ZFP64 promotes gallbladder cancer progression through recruiting HDAC1 to activate NOTCH1 signaling pathway. Cancers, 15(18), 4508-4525. 2023.
  19. Hedayat-Evrigh N., Khalkhali-Evrigh R., Bakhtiarizadeh M.R. Genome-wide ıdentification and analysis of variants in domestic and wild bactrian camels using whole-genome sequencing data. International Journal of Genomics, 2020(1), 2430846. 2020.
  20. Huang S., Wu J., Yang Y., Zhu M., Chen L., Zhang S., Yang Y., Sun X., Xie Y. Investigate the effect of ZFP64 on mRNA expression of HBG based on bioinformatics and experimental validation. Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1-11. 2025.
  21. Huang T., Wang Y., Li M., Wang W., Qi Z., Li J. Circular RNA hsa_circ_0119412 contributes to tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via the regulation of the miR-1298-5p/zinc finger BED-type containing 3 (ZBED3) axis. Bioengineered, 13(3), 5827–5842. 2022.
  22. Huang W., Li N., Hu J., Wang L. Inhibitory effect of RNA-mediated knockdown of zinc finger protein 91 pseudogene on pancreatic cancer cell growth and invasion. Oncology Letters, 12(2), 1343-1348. 2016.
  23. Jen J., Wang Y.C. Zinc finger proteins in cancer progression. Journal of Biomedical Science 23, 53-62. 2016.
  24. Jiang H., Zhang L., Liu J., Chen Z., Na R., Ding G., Zhang H., Ding Q. Knockdown of zinc finger protein X-linked inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and caspase-9. Cancer Gene Therapy, 19(10), 684-689. 2012.
  25. Kadrmas J.L., Beckerle M.C. The LIM domain: From the cytoskeleton to the nucleus. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 5(11), 920-931. 2004.
  26. Karlsson O., Thor S., Norberg T., Ohlsson H., Edlund T. Insulin gene enhancer binding protein Isl-1 is a member of a novel class of proteins containing both a homeo-and a Cys–His domain. Nature, 344(6269), 879-882. 1990.
  27. Kelly S.P., Anderson W.F., Rosenberg P.S., Cook M.B. Past, current, and future incidence rates and burden of metastatic prostate cancer in the United States. European Urology Focus, 4(1), 121-127. 2018.
  28. Kiri S., Ryba T. Cancer, metastasis, and the epigenome. Molecular Cancer, 23(1),154-181. 2024.
  29. Li Y., Zhao Q., Fan L. Q., Wang L.L., Tan B.B., Leng Y.L., Liu Y., Wang D. Zinc finger protein 139 expression in gastric cancer and its clinical significance. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 20(48), 18346-18353. 2014.
  30. Liu J., Zhang H. Zinc finger and BTB domain-containing 20: A newly emerging player in pathogenesis and development of human cancers. Biomolecules, 14(2), 192-210. 2024.
  31. Liu S., Liu X., Lin X., Chen H. Zinc finger proteins in the war on gastric cancer: Molecular mechanism and clinical potential. Cells, 12(9), 1314-1342. 2023.
  32. Liu S., Sima X., Liu X., Chen H. Zinc finger proteins: Functions and mechanisms in colon cancer. Cancers, 14(21), 5242-5259. 2022.
  33. Locke J.A., Guns E.S., Lubik A.A., Adomat H.H., Hendy S.C., Wood C.A., Ettinger S.L., Gleave M.E., Nelson C.C. Androgen levels increase by intratumoral de novo steroidogenesis during progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer Research, 68(15), 6407-6415. 2008.
  34. Lu B., Klingbeil O., Tarumoto Y., Somerville T.D.D., Huang Y.H., Wei Y., Wai D.C., Low J.K.K., Milazzo J.P., Wu X.S., Cao Z., Yan X., Demerdash O.E., Huang G., Mackay J.P., Kinney J.B., Shi, J., Vakoc C.R. A transcription factor addiction in leukemia imposed by the MLL promoter sequence. Cancer Cell, 34(6), 970–981. 2018.
  35. Montanaro M., Agostini M., Anemona L., Bonanno E., Servadei F., Finazzi Agrò E., Asimakopoulos A.D., Ganini C., Cipriani C., Signoretti M., Bove P., Rugolo F., Imperiali B., Melino G., Mauriello A., Scimeca M. ZNF750: A novel prognostic biomarker in metastatic prostate cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(7), 6519-6534. 2023.
  36. Ngwa C.J., Farrukh A., Pradel G. Zinc finger proteins of Plasmodium falciparum. Cellular Microbiology, 23(12), e13387. 2021.
  37. Obinata D., Takayama K., Inoue S., Takahashi S. Exploring androgen receptor signaling pathway in prostate cancer: A path to new discoveries. International Journal of Urology, 31(6), 590-597. 2024.
  38. Paller C.J., Antonarakis E.S. Management of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after local therapy: Evolving standards of care and new directions. Clinical Advances in Hematology & Oncology: H&O, 11(1), 14-23. 2013.
  39. Qiu G., Deng Y. ZFP64 transcriptionally activates PD-1 and CTLA-4 and plays an oncogenic role in esophageal cancer. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 622, 72-78. 2022.
  40. Qu Y., Dang S., Hou P. Gene methylation in gastric cancer. Clinica Chimica Acta, 424, 53-65. 2013.
  41. Rhie S.K., Yao L., Luo Z., Witt H., Schreiner S., Guo Y., Perez A.A., Farnham P.J. ZFX acts as a transcriptional activator in multiple types of human tumors by binding downstream of transcription start sites at the majority of CpG island promoters. Genome Research, 28(3), 310–320. 2018.
  42. Satpathy A.T., KC W., Albring J.C., Edelson B.T., Kretzer N.M., Bhattacharya D., Murphy T.L., Murphy K.M. Zbtb46 expression distinguishes classical dendritic cells and their committed progenitors from other immune lineages. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 209(6), 1135-1152. 2012.