The roles of STMN3 in various cancers

Stathmin-3 (STMN3) is a member of the microtubule-destabilizing regulatory protein family and functions to promote microtubule depolymerization. It specifically binds to the α/β heterodimers of microtubules, facilitating their depolymerization and inhibiting polymerization, thereby influencing cell morphology and function. Recent studies have indicated that aberrant expression of STMN3 is closely associated with the development of various diseases. In the field of oncology, STMN3 has been found to be dysregulated in multiple cancer types and is strongly linked to tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Owing to these characteristics, STMN3 is involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes as well as critical signaling pathways, demonstrating its potential as a multifunctional regulatory molecule. This article reviews and analyzes the roles and mechanisms of STMN3 in tumorigenesis, with the aim of identifying potential therapeutic targets and contributing to the development of precision medicine strategies for cancer treatment. This study is a narrative review on the role of STMN3 in tumors, which is guided by the Scale for the Assessment of narrative review articles (SANRA). Literature retrieval was conducted in public databases such as PubMed and Web of Science using "STMN3″, "SCLIP", "tumor", and "cancer" as key words, with no restriction on publication time. Relevant studies were screened based on research content and data integrity, including bioinformatic analyses and in vitro/in vivo experimental studies.