The Roles of SIRT1 in Cancer

The sirtuin family has emerged as important regulators of diverse physiological and pathological events, including life-span extension, neurodegeneration, age-related disorders, obesity, heart disease, inflammation, and cancer. In mammals, there are 7 members (SIRT1-SIRT7) in the sirtuin family, with the function of SIRT1 being extensively studied in the past decade. SIRT1 can deacetylate histones and a number of nonhistone substrates, which are involved in multiple signaling pathways. Numerous studies have suggested that SIRT1 could act as either a tumor suppressor or tumor promoter depending on its targets in specific signaling pathways or in specific cancers. This review highlights the major pathways regulated by SIRT1 involved in tumorigenesis.