Transcription and Translation Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment

Transcription and translation are fundamental cellular processes that govern the protein production of cells. These processes are generally up regulated in cancer cells, to maintain the enhanced metabolism and proliferative state of these cells. As such cancerous cells can be susceptible to transcription and translation inhibitors. There are numerous druggable proteins involved in transcription and translation which make lucrative targets for cancer drug development. In addition to proteins, recent years have shown that the “undruggable” transcription factors and RNA molecules can also be targeted to hamper the transcription or translation in cancer. In this review, we summarize the properties and function of the transcription and translation inhibitors that have been tested and developed, focusing on the advances of the last 5 years. To complement this, we also discuss some of the recent advances in targeting oncogenes tightly controlling transcription including transcription factors and KRAS. In addition to natural and synthetic compounds, we review DNA and RNA based approaches to develop cancer drugs. Finally, we conclude with the outlook to the future of the development of transcription and translation inhibitors.