Molecular activities, regulating a balanced tissue organisation, are frequently disturbed during cancer progression. These include protein ectodomain shedding, a post-translational process that substantially changes the functional properties of the substrate protein. In comparison with normal epithelia, cancer cells almost invariably show diminished cadherin-mediated intercellular adhesion. This review will address cadherin ectodomain shedding and its functional consequence in normal physiology and in the tumor environment. Soluble cadherin fragments may retain specific biological activities during cancer cell invasion, angiogenesis and perineural invasion. When diffusion barriers disappear, soluble cadherins are detected in sera from cancer patients. Soluble N-(neural) cadherin may represent a novel diagnosis/prognostic biomarker showing a correlation with PSA in sera of prostate cancer patients. Furthermore, therapeutic monitoring in pancreas adenomacarcinoma revealed a correlation between circulating soluble N-cadherin and CA 19-9. A better understanding of cadherin regulation in cancer progression will likely increase our awareness of the importance of the combinatorial signals that regulate tissue integrity and eventually result in the identification of new therapeutics targeting cadherins.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10585-007-9104-8 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Trophoblast-derived factors drive human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation along an endothelial lineage: A model of early placental vasculogenesis.
Reprod Biol
January 2025
Department of Biology, Edge Hill University, L39 4QP, UK. Electronic address:
Mechanisms controlling the process and patterning of blood vessel development in the placenta remain largely unknown. The close physical proximity of early blood vessels observed in the placenta and the cytotrophoblast, as well as the reported production of vasculogenic growth factors by the latter, suggests that signalling between these two niches may be important. Here, we have developed an in vitro model to address the hypothesis that the cytotrophoblast, by the secretion of soluble factors, drives differentiation of resident sub-trophoblastic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) along a vascular lineage, thereby establishing feto-placental circulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical utility of quantitative ultrasonography parameters combined with serum cancer antigen 15‑3, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and soluble E‑cadherin in diagnosing mass‑type breast cancer.
Oncol Lett
March 2025
Department of Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Beihua University, Jilin, Jilin 132011, P.R. China.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), a newly developed imaging technique, holds certain value in differentiating benign from malignant tumors. Additionally, serum tumor markers also exhibit significant clinical importance in the diagnosis and monitoring of malignant tumors. Reports have indicated abnormal expression of HER-2, CA153 and sE-cad in breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDelivery of N-Cadherin Targeting Peptides to Vascular Tissues by Surface-Modified Polyurethane Nanoparticles via a Drug-Coated Balloon.
ACS Biomater Sci Eng
January 2025
Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E3, Canada.
Restenosis remains a long-standing limitation to effectively maintain functional blood flow after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). While the use of drug-coated balloons (DCBs) containing antiproliferative drugs has improved patient outcomes, limited tissue transfer and poor therapeutic targeting capabilities contribute to off-target cytotoxicity, precluding adequate endothelial repair. In this work, a DCB system was designed and tested to achieve defined arterial delivery of an antirestenosis therapeutic candidate, cadherin-2 (N-cadherin) mimetic peptides (NCad), shown to selectively inhibit smooth muscle cell migration and limit intimal thickening in early animal PTA models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCTSS contributes to airway neutrophilic inflammation in mixed granulocytic asthma.
Respir Res
December 2024
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Background: Mixed granulocytic asthma (MGA) is usually associated with poor response to corticosteroid therapy and a high risk of severe asthma. Cathepsin S (CTSS) has been found to play an important role in various inflammatory diseases. This study was aimed to investigate the role of CTSS in MGA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExosome-based strategy against colon cancer using small interfering RNA-loaded vesicles targeting soluble a proliferation-inducing ligand.
World J Stem Cells
November 2024
Department of Surgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, South Korea.
Article Synopsis
- Recent advancements in nanomedicine have shown that exosome-based therapies could be effective for targeted cancer treatment, particularly in colon cancer.
- A study explored the effectiveness of siPIN1-loaded exosomes that target a specific ligand (sAPRIL) in cancer models, demonstrating that these engineered exosomes have enhanced anticancer properties.
- Results indicated that the tEx[p] group, which had the siPIN1 RNA loaded, significantly reduced tumor size and growth compared to other treatments, suggesting a promising new strategy for colon cancer therapy.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!