SLFN11/Schlafen 11 [E4]

Schlafen (SLFN) family members are preferentially expressed in lymphoid tissues and are differentially regulated during thymocyte maturation. Schlafen proteins function as suppressors of cell growth and are thought to play a role in the maintenance of T cell quiescence. All members of the Schlafen family contain a conserved core domain and are substantially diversified at the N terminus. Changes in Schalfen protein expression may contribute to phenotypic differences seen in thymic subsets. SLFN11 (also known as SLFN8/9) is a nuclear protein that belongs to the Schlafen family of genes involved in cell cycle regulation and growth inhibition. Expression of SLFN11 predicts sensitivity of cancer cell lines to DNA-damaging agents. Evidence suggests that in the presence of DNA-targeted therapies, SLFN11 is recruited to stressed replication forks where it blocks replication, leading to cell death. SLFN11 is being explored as a predictive biomarker for response to DNA-targeted therapies.