Emerging roles of TRIM family proteins in gliomas pathogenesis

Gliomas encompass a vast category of CNS tumors affecting both adults and children. Treatment and diagnosis are often impeded due to intratumor heterogeneity and the aggressive nature of the more malignant forms. It is therefore essential to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and explore the intracellular signaling pathways underlying tumor pathology to provide more promising diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools for gliomas. The tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) superfamily of proteins plays a key role in many physiological cellular processes, including brain development and function. Emerging evidence supports the association of TRIMs with a wide variety of cancers, exhibiting both an oncogenic as well as a tumor suppressive role depending on cancer type. In this review, we provide evidence of the pivotal role of TRIM proteins in gliomagenesis and exploit their potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.