Our results establish ATF4 as a cellular rheostat of MYC activity, which ensures that enhanced translation rates are compatible with survival and tumour progression.
Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), an endoplasmic reticulum stress-inducible transcription factor, plays important roles in cancer progression and resistance to therapy.
Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), an important gene mediating cellular adaptation to various stress signals, could confer a survival advantage for tumor cells under hypoxia and regulate tumor progression.
Here we summarize recent findings regarding the regulation of ATF4 in transformed cells, clinical tumor samples and tumor models, and speculate on its potential role in tumor progression and chemoresistance.
Since ATF4 is induced by tumour microenvironmental factors, and regulates processes relevant to cancer progression, it might serve as a potential therapeutic target in cancer.