Tau Protein as Therapeutic Target for Cancer? Focus on Glioblastoma

Rayane Hedna (1) , Hervé Kovacic (1) , Alessandra Pagano (1) , Vincent Peyrot (1) , Maxime Robin (2) , François Devred (1) , Gilles Breuzard (1)

1 INP - Institut de neurophysiopathologie
2 IMBE - Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie marine et continentale

Despite being extensively studied for several decades, the microtubule-associated protein Tau has not finished revealing its secrets. For long, Tau has been known for its ability to promote microtubule assembly. A less known feature of Tau is its capability to bind to cancer-related protein kinases, suggesting a possible role of Tau in modulating microtubule-independent cellular pathways that are associated with oncogenesis. With the intention of finding new therapeutic targets for cancer, it appears essential to examine the interaction of Tau with these kinases and their consequences. This review aims at collecting the literature data supporting the relationship between Tau and cancer with a particular focus on glioblastoma tumors in which the pathological significance of Tau remains largely unexplored. We will first treat this subject from a mechanistic point of view showing the pivotal role of Tau in oncogenic processes. Then, we will discuss the involvement of Tau in dysregulating critical pathways in glioblastoma. Finally, we will outline promising strategies to target Tau protein for the therapy of glioblastoma.

Keywords: Microtubule-associated protein Tau; Glioblastoma; Signaling pathway; Medicinal chemistry; Cancer

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Biophysics; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]; Neurobiology; Life Sciences [q-bio]; Cancer

Rayane Hedna, Hervé Kovacic, Alessandra Pagano, Vincent Peyrot, Maxime Robin, et al.. Tau Protein as Therapeutic Target for Cancer? Focus on Glioblastoma. Cancers, 2022, 14 (21), pp.5386. ⟨10.3390/cancers14215386⟩. ⟨hal-03837788⟩