The Golgi Apparatus as an Anticancer Therapeutic Target

Simple Summary Even though scientists discovered the Golgi apparatus (GA) more than 125 years ago, there are only a few treatments that focus on this important part of the cell. The GA is a central hub in our cells, helping modify and move proteins and lipids. When the GA does not work correctly, it can affect cell processes linked to cancer. This dysregulation can impact how proteins are changed, where they go in and outside the cell, how cells use energy, or even the structure of the extracellular matrix and the environment. That is why targeting the GA could be an appealing way to treat cancer. Surprisingly, there are no anticancer drugs approved that specifically target the GA. But there is hope that new methods, like the use of nanoparticles to deliver drugs, might change that. This article looks at the drugs that are being explored for targeting the GA in cancer and the different ways scientists deliver these drugs. It also addresses the possible benefits and challenges of modulating the GA activity to treat cancer.Abstract Although the discovery of the Golgi apparatus (GA) was made over 125 years ago, only a very limited number of therapeutic approaches have been developed to target this complex organelle. The GA serves as a modification and transport center for proteins and lipids and also has more recently emerged as an important store for some ions. The dysregulation of GA functions is implicated in many cellular processes associated with cancer and some GA proteins are indeed described as cancer biomarkers. This dysregulation can affect protein modification, localization, and secretion, but also cellular metabolism, redox status, extracellular pH, and the extracellular matrix structure. Consequently, it can directly or indirectly affect cancer progression. For these reasons, the GA is an appealing anticancer pharmacological target. Despite this, no anticancer drug specifically targeting the GA has reached the clinic and few have entered the clinical trial stage. Advances in nanodelivery approaches may help change this scenario by specifically targeting tumor cells and/or the GA through passive, active, or physical strategies. This article aims to examine the currently available anticancer GA-targeted drugs and the nanodelivery strategies explored for their administration. The potential benefits and challenges of modulating and specifically targeting the GA function in the context of cancer therapy are discussed.