Fig. 3: MYC and SUMO inhibitor sensitivity.
From: The SUMO pathway in pancreatic cancer: insights and inhibition
The association of high MYC activity to the sensitivity of PDAC cells to SUMO inhibitors is depicted. Increased expression of MYC leads to mitotic alterations and generates vulnerabilities. Therefore, cancer cells with high MYC activity depend on safeguard pathways to cope with this particular stress. These safeguard pathways, which include the SUMOylation machinery, allow the cells to adapt to mitotic stress. Blocking the SUMO pathway induces G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, polyploidy, and subsequent cell death. Beyond the SUMO pathway, mitotic genes, like TPX2, BIRC5/survivin, and EG5/kinesin‐5, can function as safeguards. Please see also the two recent publication of the Goga93 and Taylor92 laboratories for a detailed discussion.
