A tumor suppressor DLC1: The functions and signal pathways

Deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC1), a potential tumor suppressor, acts as a GTPase-activating protein for Rho family members. In many human cancers, the DLC1 expression is frequently downregulated or inactivated, which allows cancer cells to proliferate and disseminate. In this review, we describe the characteristics and other members of the DLC1 family and delineate the signal pathways DLC1 involved in regulating cancer cell growth, colony formation, apoptosis, senescence, autophagy, migration and invasion. In addition, we explore the clinical data of DLC1 and the mechanisms that natural products upregulate the DLC1 expression to inhibit cancer. Despite these insights, many important unanswered questions remain about the exact mechanisms of DLC1-mediated cancer suppression.