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Protein–Protein Interactions in Human Cancer

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 403

Special Issue Editor

State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: anticancer drug development; tumor suppressor protein

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many proteins perform their biological functions, such as transmitting signals and implementing positive or negative regulation, by interacting with other proteins. Due to genetic mutations (inherited or sporadic), proteins encoded by these genes undergo loss-of-function or gain-of-function mutations that induce changes in protein‒protein interactions and protein dysfunction, thus contributing to various diseases in humans. Therefore, a thorough understanding of protein‒protein interactions related to human diseases is crucial for both discerning the complex mechanisms by which proteins carry out their functions and developing therapeutic approaches to combat these severe diseases.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of original research articles, short communications, and reviews.

Dr. Geng Wu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • protein–protein interactions
  • protein–protein complexes
  • human cancer
  • signal transduction pathways
  • protein structure and function

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 4999 KB  
Article
Targeted Inhibition of Colorectal Carcinoma Using a Designed CEA-Binding Protein to Deliver p53 Protein and TCF/LEF Transcription Factor Decoy DNA
by Wen Wang, Xuan Sun and Geng Wu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(20), 9846; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26209846 - 10 Oct 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is characterized by mutations in p53 and the Wnt signaling pathway, and immunotherapy has shown limited efficacy in microsatellite-stable CRC. Here, CEABP1, a binding protein for the CRC biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was designed de novo through the AI-based computational [...] Read more.
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is characterized by mutations in p53 and the Wnt signaling pathway, and immunotherapy has shown limited efficacy in microsatellite-stable CRC. Here, CEABP1, a binding protein for the CRC biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was designed de novo through the AI-based computational generation methods RFDiffusion/ProteinMPNN and stringent in silico selection, for targeted delivery of purified p53 protein and transcription factor T-cell factor (TCF)/lymphoid enhancer-binding factor (LEF) transcription factor decoy (TFD) DNA into CRC cells. The cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) p28 was employed to deliver the p28-p53-CEABP1 protein, which significantly enhanced p53’s inhibition of CRC cell proliferation and xenograft tumor growth. Codelivery of the p14ARF protein together with p53 prolonged the effective antitumor duration of p53. In addition, the DNA binding domain of Max was fused with CPP and CEABP1 to deliver TCF/LEF TFD DNA, comprising concatenated consensus binding motifs for TCF/LEF and Max, into CRC cells to inhibit Wnt target gene transcription, leading to marked suppression of CRC cell proliferation and xenograft tumor growth. These findings paved the way for the development of precision anticancer therapeutics using designed binding proteins of tumor biomarkers for targeted delivery of tumor suppressor proteins and TFD DNA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein–Protein Interactions in Human Cancer)
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