CELF family of RNA-binding proteins: roles in disease biology and potential for therapeutic intervention

The CUG-BP and Elav-like (CELF) family of RNA-binding proteins are key regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression, coordinating alternative splicing, mRNA stability, and translation. Although individual members, particularly CELF1 and CELF2, have been extensively characterized, a systematic, paralog-resolved integration of structural determinants, regulatory mechanisms, and disease relevance across all six CELF proteins remains limited. Here, we establish an integrative framework linking conserved RNA recognition motifs and divergent linker domains to context-dependent regulatory outputs, mediated by phosphorylation, nucleocytoplasmic dynamics, and RNA network interactions. We further highlight the neuron-enriched CELF3-CELF6 subfamily, consolidating emerging evidence that extends their roles beyond neural splicing into cancer-associated regulatory programs. Notably, we delineate functional divergence within the family, with CELF1 frequently acting as an oncogenic driver in contrast to the tumor-suppressive role of CELF2, while positioning less-characterized paralogs within this regulatory spectrum. Together, this work defines a unified structure-function-disease axis for CELF proteins and provides a conceptual framework for their prognostic and therapeutic exploitation. However, current CELF-targeted strategies remain largely preclinical and face key translational challenges, including paralog selectivity, off-target effects, and delivery barriers such as limited blood-brain barrier penetration. Accordingly, the most immediate clinical utility of CELF biology is likely to lie in biomarker development and patient stratification, rather than direct therapeutic intervention.