UFMylation at the Crossroads of Health and Cancer: A Blessing in Disguise

Despite its similarity in structural basis with ubiquitin system, UFMylation, an emerging ubiquitin‐like (UBL) posttranslational modification, is characterized by covalent conjugation of Ubiquitin‐fold modifier 1 (UFM1) to the target proteins, which can regulate diverse cellular processes to maintain cellular homeostasis. Growing evidence has revealed that UFMylation is associated with developmental disorders, tumorigenesis, heart failure and inflammation. Here, we highlight a comprehensive advance in the components and the biochemical peculiarities of UFMylation system, as well as its pathophysiological roles in cancer. Then the potential of chemicals targeting UFMylation for cancer therapy is discussed.