The versatile role of HuR in Glioblastoma and its potential as a therapeutic target for a multi-pronged attack

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant and aggressive brain tumor with a median survival of ∼15 months. Resistance to treatment arises from the extensive cellular and molecular heterogeneity in the three major components: glioma tumor cells, glioma stem cells, and tumor-associated microglia and macrophages. Within this triad, there is a complex network of intrinsic and secreted factors that promote classic hallmarks of cancer, including angiogenesis, resistance to cell death, proliferation, and immune evasion. A regulatory node connecting these diverse pathways is at the posttranscriptional level as mRNAs encoding many of the key drivers contain adenine- and uridine rich elements (ARE) in the 3′ untranslated region. Human antigen R (HuR) binds to ARE-bearing mRNAs and is a major positive regulator at this level. This review focuses on basic concepts of ARE-mediated RNA regulation and how targeting HuR with small molecule inhibitors represents a plausible strategy for a multi-pronged therapeutic attack on GBM.