Reprogramming cell fates by RNA binding proteins in stem cells and cancer

Stem cells and cancer share a characteristic potential of self‐renewal, which is essential for long‐term maintenance of both cell types in vivo . Similar to a hierarchy of stem and progenitor cells in normal tissues, many types of tumors are maintained by a small population of self‐renewing cancer cells while the bulk of the tumor is consisted of more differentiated cells with no or limited renewal activity. The self‐renewing cancer cells, or cancer stem cells, are often resistant to conventional therapies and thereby mediate tumor relapse. With the ability to self‐renew and propagate the tumor, cancer stem cells also contribute to metastasis and disease progression to a more aggressive, often fatal, disease phase. Therefore, regulatory mechanisms of stem cell fates have emerged as one of the promising areas for targeted cancer therapies. Recent studies have demonstrated that RNA binding proteins play major roles in both normal and malignant stem cells. We are particularly interested in how RNA binding proteins affect stem cell potentials and contribute to disease development in myeloid leukemia and would like to share our findings on their roles in the branched‐chain amino acid metabolism and stem cell maintenance.