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Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2: a novel target for human cancer therapy

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Summary

Serine and glycine are the primary sources of one-carbon units that are vital for cell proliferation. Their abnormal metabolism is known to be associated with cancer progression. As the key enzyme of serine metabolism, Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) has been a research hotspot in recent years. SHMT2 is a PLP-dependent tetrameric enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transition from serine to glycine, thus promoting the production of one-carbon units that are indispensable for cell growth and regulation of the redox and epigenetic states of cells. Under a hypoxic environment, SHMT2 can be upregulated and could promote the generation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and glutathione for maintaining the redox balance. Accumulating evidence confirmed that SHMT2 facilitates cell proliferation and tumor growth and is tightly associated with poor prognosis. In this review, we present insights into the function and research development of SHMT2 and summarize the possible molecular mechanisms of SHMT2 in promoting tumor growth, in the hope that it could provide clues to more effective clinical treatment of cancer.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81872080, 81572349), Jiangsu Provincial Medical Talent (ZDRCA2016055), the Science and Technology Department of Jiangsu Province (BK20181148), the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD) and the 333 high-level talents of Jiangsu Province (BRA2019083).

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  1. Department of Pathology, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-shan Road, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China

    Min Xie & Dong-Sheng Pei

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  1. Min Xie
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  2. Dong-Sheng Pei
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Min Xie wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Dong-Sheng Pei.

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Xie, M., Pei, DS. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2: a novel target for human cancer therapy. Invest New Drugs 39, 1671–1681 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10637-021-01144-z

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