Therapeutic Targeting of MOAP-1 in Cancer: A Systematic Review of Current Approaches and Future Directions

Abstract

The Modulator of Apoptosis 1 (MOAP-1) protein, a crucial regulator of apoptosis, has recently attracted considerable interest in oncology research. Its potential as a therapeutic target in bladder, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) offers intriguing new therapeutic approaches. This comprehensive review consolidated work on MOAP-1's role in cancer biology, notably as a therapeutic target. A systematic review was conducted by searching digital databases for studies. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, ten articles were thoroughly assessed. Emerging evidence links MOAP-1 to bladder cancer chemosensitivity and MOAP-1-dependent chemosensitization of breast cancer mediated by phenylquinazoline derivatives. In addition, apoptosis in breast cancer cells was induced by α-mangostin, a potential therapeutic drug targeting MOAP-1 and BCL-XL interaction. Studies showed MOAP-1's importance in NSCLC, with its upregulation in the cancer cells as a potential treatment. This review also highlights the role of miR-25 as a cellular regulator of MOAP-1 and its implication for MOAP-1-mediated therapeutics. The intricate control of MOAP-1 in cancer highlights the need for more research to understand its function and regulation across cancer types completely. MOAP-1's tumor suppressor activity suggests it could be a therapeutic target, as evidenced by current research findings, which is likely to spur further research into MOAP-1-targeted cancer treatments. This systematic review fills a gap in the literature by bringing together a variety of study findings to promote a deeper understanding of MOAP-1 and its therapeutic potential.