Exportin 1/chromosome region maintenance 1 as a therapeutic target for lung cancer

In eukaryotic cells, the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport is critical for regulating cell cycle, transcriptional activation, and repression (1). Large molecules such as proteins and RNAs require specific nucleo-cytoplasmic trafficking machinery. There are four main categories of nuclear transport factors: (I) karyopherins (importins or exportins), transport receptors that recognize cargoes for transport which occurs in the beginning of transport; (II) nucleoporins, the proteins of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), serve as the sole gatekeepers regulating the exchange of material between these compartments; (III) the Ran GTPase, together with its regulators control the rate of cargoes in/out of the NPC and the loading/unloading of cargoes; and (IV) specialized factors promoting transport of protein or RNA complexes (1,2).