The function of Aurora A and its role in the development of liver cancer / 中华肝脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

Aurora A plays a key role in cellular mitosis. It is located in the centrosome and spindle, and is mainly involved in the processes of centrosome maturation and separation, bipolar spindle assembly, and the regulation of mitotic progression. Recent studies have suggested that Aurora A is involved in tumorigenesis and tumor development through multiple mechanisms. Overexpression of Aurora A could cause abnormal centrosome amplification, aneuploidy formation, and G2/M checkpoint defects, which result in chromosome instability and imbalance between cell division and apoptosis, and eventually leads to abnormal cell proliferation. Aurora A also participates in the regulation of the p53 and BRCA1 pathways, leading to suppressor gene dysfunction and changes in cell viability, and it induces telomerase activity by upregulating c-Myc, resulting in tumorigenesis. In addition, Aurora A also induces drug resistance in liver cancer cells. Thus, Aurora A has gradually become a new target for cancer therapy in recent years. This paper has summarized the recent studies on Aurora A, and reviewed its biological functions in cell mitosis and roles in liver tumorigenesis.