Analysis of Biomolecular Condensates in Cancers

Abnormal forms of biomolecular condensates are associated with many human diseases. Our experts are dedicated to the broad characterization of pathological condensates, opening up exciting new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Here, CD BioSciences offers professional services to analyze biomolecular condensates as therapeutic targets for cancers.

Research Progress of Biomolecular Condensates in Cancer Biology

Cancer is considered to be a disease with mutations or dysregulated gene transcription. A variety of cellular processes are dysregulated in the malignant state, including maintenance of genomic integrity, chromatin structure, transcription, RNA processing, and proliferative signaling. These processes occur throughout the cellular space and have been the subject of detailed genetic, biochemical, and structural studies. Recent evidence suggests that many of these processes occur in the context of biomolecular condensates that have physicochemical properties that contribute to regulatory mechanisms beyond what would be expected in traditional molecular biology. Studies from biomolecular condensates with liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) provide a new framework for our understanding of cancer cell dysregulation.

Fig. 1. Hallmarks of cancer incorporate processes that involve diverse biomolecular condensates. (Boija A, et al., 2021)

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Cancer cells typically cause excessive cell proliferation to form tumors through mutations and other genomic alterations, with a large proportion of these mutations occurring in the disordered structural domains of proteins involved in the formation of biomolecular condensates that are closely associated with many aspects of cellular organization. However, the specific mechanisms linking the formation and regulation of condensates to cancer are not known. As one of the leading service providers of biomolecular condensates, CD BioSciences offers comprehensive services to analyze the link between abnormally altered condensates and cancer development and progression. We aim to investigate the role of LLPS in cancer and the development of drug candidates targeting LLPS regulation for use against tumorigenesis.

We have cutting-edge technology to monitor the phase transition of biomolecular condensates from liquid to solid during several cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer or non-small cell lung cancer, liver cancer, glioma, leukemia, prostate cancer, Ewing's sarcoma tumor, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, myeloma, etc. In addition, we provide multicellular or animal models to establish higher order systems in vitro and at the cellular level to analyze the material properties and dynamics of biomolecular condensates that reflect cancer pathophysiology.

Cancer cells acquire mutations that affect multiple cohesion-mediated cellular processes, including transcription, chromatin structure, and proliferation signaling. Since LLPS can affect tumorigenesis through different pathways, our technical team works to develop practical strategies to treat these cancer-associated proteins and their upstream/downstream signaling. We can characterize LLPS dysregulation in biomolecular condensates in multiple cancer signaling pathways, including but not limited to:

• Analysis of Signal Transduction Mediated by LLPS in Cancers
• Analysis of Epigenetic Dysregulation Mediated by LLPS in Cancers
• Analysis of Transcriptional Regulation Mediated by LLPS in Cancers
• Analysis of RNA Processing Mediated by LLPS in Cancers
• Analysis of Ubiquitination Mediated by LLPS in Cancers
• Analysis of Telomeres Alternative Lengthening Mediated by LLPS in Cancers

In addition, we develop LLPS-based cancer therapeutic strategies by modulating the phase separation process:

(1) Therapeutic strategies that directly affect the soluble to liquid or liquid to solid phase of condensates:

• Control the concentration of relevant proteins/nucleic acids to maintain normal LLPS.
• Induce/inhibit post-translational modifications to affect LLPS.
• Distribution of anticancer drugs in biomolecular condensates.
• Interfere with RNA to affect LLPS.

(2) Therapeutic strategy for target enzymes that regulate condensate formation and solubilization.

CD BioSciences offers additional cellular and animal models to explore the development of anticancer drugs that regulate LLPS. Joint exploration with our cancer researchers, cell biologists and biophysicists to unravel the mysteries of cancer phase separation and find more therapeutic strategies for tumors associated with phase separation. If you have any special requirements for our services, please feel free to contact us. We are looking forward to working together with your attractive projects.