Zinc-Finger Proteins in Cancer

Zinc finger (ZF)-containing proteins constitute approximately 5% of all expressed human protein-coding genes. ZF proteins are regulatory proteins whose various zinc-containing structural motifs are involved in DNA, RNA and protein binding. The function of these interactions may affect transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation, alternative splicing, subcellular localisation, chromatin organisation and epigenetic regulation. In various cancers, ZF proteins may act as oncogenes or tumour-suppressor genes. These genes or their cis- or trans-regulatory elements may exhibit germline or somatic mutations or undergo epigenetic dysregulation such as DNA hypo- or hypermethylation, each of which may lead to their inactivation or aberrant activation. Such alterations can disrupt transcriptional programs, which could contribute to cancer initiation, progression, dissemination and pathogenesis.

In this Special Issue, research leading to new functional insights into the role of ZF proteins in the molecular pathophysiology of various cancers will be considered. Primary research papers should show the mechanistic involvement of normal or aberrant ZF proteins in cancer initiation and development, including the characterisation of gain- or loss-of-function in ZF proteins pertaining to DNA, RNA or protein binding. New insights from relevant biological models including primary cells, stem cells, patient-derived explants, organoids and animal models will be highly favoured. Prospective or retrospective studies on cancer patient cohorts and samples will be welcome. Scholarly review articles that address new developments in cancer biology or provide interesting perspectives on established fields will be preferred.

Dear Colleagues,

Zinc finger (ZF) proteins are important regulatory proteins with diverse roles in normal biology and disease. In cancer, the aberrant activation or inactivation of ZF proteins through a variety of mechanisms (transcriptional dysregulation, mutation and epigenetic perturbations) can drive cancer pathogenesis. ZF proteins are typically unsuitable candidates for the development of targeted therapeutics due to the limited knowledge of druggable sites. Therefore, new insights into ZF proteins are needed, as many are poorly described, and the contribution of their DNA-, RNA- or protein-binding domains to the molecular aetiology of cancer is unknown.

We are pleased to invite past and potential Cancers authors to submit topical and timely research articles, as well as review and perspective pieces. We welcome submissions from diverse disciplines and researcher backgrounds, provided they address new insights into ZF proteins and their contribution to cancer. Papers that reveal new mechanisms using innovative experimental techniques and relevant biological models are preferred. Submissions that directly link ZF motif involvement or dysfunction to cancer pathophysiology will be highly regarded. We encourage submissions from higher-degree research students and early-career researchers, and these contributions should be clearly documented in the cover letter.

This Special Issue titled “Zinc-Finger Proteins in Cancer” welcomes multi-disciplinary submissions from scientists and clinicians in the following areas of expertise: molecular and cellular biology, cancer genetics, genomics, proteomics, protein biochemistry, structural biology, molecular dynamics, chromatin architecture, microscopy and super-resolution imaging, small animal models, bioinformatics, and pre-clinical and clinical studies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Charles Bailey
Prof. Dr. John Rasko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• zinc finger
• cancer
• DNA binding
• RNA binding
• transcription factor
• chromatin organisation
• mutation
• tumour suppressor
• oncogene