Published online Jun 15, 2019. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v11.i6.449
Peer-review started: January 4, 2019
First decision: March 14, 2019
Revised: April 17, 2019
Accepted: May 3, 2019
Article in press: May 4, 2019
Published online: June 15, 2019
Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 (eIF5A2), as one of the two isoforms in the family, is reported to be a novel oncogenic protein that is involved in multiple aspects of many types of human cancer. Overexpression or gene amplification of EIF5A2 has been demonstrated in many cancers. Accumulated evidence shows that eIF5A2 initiates tumor formation, enhances cancer cell growth, increases cancer cell metastasis, and promotes treatment resistance through multiple means, including inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition, cytoskeletal rearrangement, angiogenesis, and metabolic reprogramming. Expression of eIF5A2 in cancer correlates with poor survival, advanced disease stage, as well as metastasis, suggesting that eIF5A2 function is crucial for tumor development and maintenance but not for normal tissue homeostasis. All these studies suggest that eIF5A2 is a useful biomarker in the prediction of cancer prognosis and serves as an anticancer molecular target. This review focuses on the expression, subcellular localization, post-translational modifications, and regulatory networks of eIF5A2, as well as its biochemical functions and evolving clinical applications in cancer, especially in human digestive system neoplasms.
Core tip: Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2 (eIF5A2) is one of only two cellular proteins that contain the unusual amino acid hypusine. eIF5A2 initiates tumor formation, enhances cancer cell growth, increases metastasis, and promotes treatment resistance through inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition, cytoskeletal rearrangement, angiogenesis, and metabolic reprogramming. Isoform eIF5A2 represents a promising target for treatment of human digestive system cancer. Our objective was to consolidate the current literature to better understand the expression, subcellular localization, post-translational modifications, and regulatory networks of eIF5A2, as well as its biochemical functions and evolving clinical applications in human digestive system cancer.