Syncytin immunoreactivity in colorectal cancer: potential prognostic impact.

The endogenous retroviral envelope protein syncytin is involved in cell fusions and has also been associated with immunomodulatory functions. Syncytin is currently known to be expressed in the placenta, testis and brain as well as in breast and endometrial carcinomas. Using a newly developed monoclonal syncytin antibody we have assessed syncytin expression in a retrospective series of 140 colorectal cancer patients.

Cell fusions in mammals.

Cell fusions are important to fertilization, placentation, development of skeletal muscle and bone, calcium homeostasis and the immune defense system. Additionally, cell fusions participate in tissue repair and may be important to cancer development and progression. A large number of factors appear to regulate cell fusions, including receptors and ligands, membrane domain organizing proteins, proteases, signaling molecules and fusogenic proteins forming alpha-helical bundles that bring membranes close together.