Targeting AAC-11 in cancer therapy

Importance of the field. Since its discovery in 1997, the antiapoptotic factor AAC-11 has rapidly gained attention due to its potential use in cancer therapy. Indeed, most cancer cells express elevated levels of AAC-11, which is now known to be involved in both tumor cells growth as well as sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Areas covered in this review. In this review, we examine the most recent evidence about the role of AAC-11 in cancer biology and the therapeutic perspectives associated with its specific targeting. For that purpose, literature dealing with AAC-11 in the PubMed database was reviewed from 1997 up to date. What the reader will gain: AAC-11 is an antiapoptotic gene that has the potential to be a target for anti-cancer therapy, and warrants further investigation. As its expression seems to predict unfavorable prognosis, at least in some cancers, it also may become a potent prognostic marker. Take home message: Blocking AAC-11 function in cancer for therapeutic purposes might be of great interest. The recent report of efficient AAC-11 inhibiting peptides that sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs has raise the exciting notion that AAC-11 might be a druggable target and fueled the search for new therapeutic agents that could block AAC-11 function.