RNA结合蛋白（RNA binding protein，RBP）在基因调控过程中扮演着关键作用，参与RNA的合成、选择性剪接、修饰、转运和翻译等生命活动，所以研究RNA和RBP的相互作用是探索RNA功能的关键。RBP的表达变化与多种疾病有关。Musashi（MSI）家族是一类进化保守的RBP，其家族成员MSI1和MSI2在肿瘤发生、发展和耐药等多个关键过程中发挥作用，在血液、神经、消化、呼吸等系统的多种肿瘤中过表达，且表达变化与预后相关。MSI与相关mRNA结合可调节mRNA翻译及mRNA稳定性。MSI可以维持肿瘤干细胞数量，并影响肿瘤的增殖、侵袭、转移及耐药。将MSI基因作为靶点指导肿瘤治疗的临床前研究目前取得了一些初步的成果。该文就MSI家族蛋白的生理功能及其在肿瘤发生发展中的作用、作为诊断标志物和治疗靶点等方面的最新研究进展进行综述。

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a key role in gene regulation and participate in life activities such as RNA synthesis, alternative splicing, modification, transport and translation. It is necessary to study the interaction between RNA and RBP into explore RNA functions. The changes of RBPs are related to a variety of diseases. Musashi (MSI) family is a class of evolutionarily conserved RBPs including MSI1 and MSI2, which play an important role in many key processes such as tumorigenesis, progression and drug resistance. They were found to be overexpressed in many tumors and associated with prognosis in the blood system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, etc. MSI binds to mRNA to regulate translation and mRNA stability. MSI maintains the number of cancer stem cells and affects tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance. The preliminary research of MSI gene as a target to guide tumor therapy has achieved some results. This article describes the physiological functions of MSI family and its roles in tumorigenesis and development, and provides an overview of the latest research progress of MSI family as a diagnostic marker or a therapeutic target.