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Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 3, 931–943 (1 December 2003) | doi:10.1038/nrc1230

The 14-3-3 cancer connection

Heiko Hermeking

14-3-3 proteins regulate many cellular processes that are important in cancer biology, such as apoptosis and cell-cycle checkpoints. There are seven human 14-3-3 genes and one of these, 14-3-3|[sigma]|, has been directly implicated in the aetiology of human cancer. Loss of 14-3-3|[sigma]| expression sensitizes cancer cells to conventional anticancer agents, so its inhibition could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. Interference with 14-3-3 function as a therapeutic approach is being evaluated at present and, in the case of UCN-01, is under clinical investigation.