Deubiquitinating enzymes: Promising targets for drug resistance.

• Drug resistance towards chemotherapy and molecularly targeted therapies remains a great challenge in cancer treatments. • Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) regulate protein stability and are extensively involved in many biological processes. • Dysregulations of DUBs frequently play important roles in drug resistance. • Therapies that combine current anti-cancer drugs and DUB inhibitors may provide new opportunities for drug resistance. Drug resistance to chemotherapy and molecularly targeted therapies is a current challenge in cancer treatments. The underlying mechanisms of resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapeutics and to drugs that target a specific molecule are not understood completely. In recent years, emerging evidence has frequently suggested that the dysregulation of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) plays important roles in the development of drug resistance. We focus on the molecular mechanisms through which DUBs enable cancer cells to escape cell death and survive when exposed to a variety of anti-cancer drugs. Furthermore, this review summarizes the potential application of DUB inhibitors in combination therapies to overcome drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]