Malignant transformation is characterized by dysregulation of diverse cellular processes that have been the subject of detailed genetic, biochemical, and structural studies, but only recently has evidence emerged that many of these processes occur in the context of biomolecular condensates. Condensates are membrane-less bodies, often formed by liquid-liquid phase separation, that compartmentalize protein and RNA molecules with related functions. New insights from condensate studies portend a profound transformation in our understanding of cellular dysregulation in cancer. Here we summarize key features of biomolecular condensates, note where they have been implicated—or will likely be implicated—in oncogenesis, describe evidence that the pharmacodynamics of cancer therapeutics can be greatly influenced by condensates, and discuss some of the questions that must be addressed to further advance our understanding and treatment of cancer.

恶性转化的特点是各种细胞过程的失调，这些过程已成为详细的遗传、生化和结构研究的主题，但直到最近才出现证据表明许多这些过程发生在生物分子凝聚物的背景下。冷凝物是无膜体，通常由液-液相分离形成，将具有相关功能的蛋白质和 RNA 分子分隔开来。凝聚研究的新见解预示着我们对癌症细胞失调的理解发生了深刻的转变。在这里，我们总结了生物分子缩合物的主要特征，注意它们在哪里涉及或可能涉及肿瘤发生，描述了癌症治疗的药效学可以受到缩合物的极大影响的证据，