AI Article Synopsis
- CXCL12 (SDF-1) and its receptor CXCR4 help move immune cells to the bone marrow, but they also play a role in how breast cancer cells spread.
- CXCR4 is important for cancer cells to grow, invade other parts of the body, and resist treatment.
- The idea of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is changing how we think about cancer, and researchers believe the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway could be a target for better cancer treatments.
Article Abstract
The chemokine CXCL12 (SDF-1) and its cell surface receptor CXCR4 were first identified as regulators of lymphocyte trafficking to the bone marrow. Soon after, the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis was proposed to regulate the trafficking of breast cancer cells to sites of metastasis. More recently, it was established that CXCR4 plays a central role in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and dissemination in the majority of malignant diseases. The stem cell concept of cancer has revolutionized the understanding of tumorigenesis and cancer treatment. A growing body of evidence indicates that a subset of cancer cells, referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs), plays a critical role in tumor initiation, metastatic colonization, and resistance to therapy. Although the signals generated by the metastatic niche that regulate CSCs are not yet fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests a key role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. In this review we focus on physiological functions of the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway and its role in cancer and CSCs, and we discuss the potential for targeting this pathway in cancer management.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3794844 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S36109 | DOI Listing |
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