Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important and complex phenomenon that determines the aggressiveness of cancer cells. The morphological transformation of cancerous cells is accompanied by various cellular processes such as alterations in cell-cell adhesion, cell matrix degradation, down regulation of epithelial marker Ecadherin and upregulation of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Vimentin. Besides these markers several other important tumor antigens/mucins are also involved in the EMT process. Mainly high molecular weight glycoproteins such as mucin molecules (MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16) play a major role in the cellular transformation and signaling alteration in EMT process. In addition to these factors, EMT may be an essential process triggering the emergence or expansion of the CSC population, which slowly results in the initiation of tumor at metastatic sites. Furthermore, mucins have been demonstrated to be involved in the EMT process and also in the enrichment of cancer stem cell population. Mucin mediated EMT is very complex since the key components of tumor microenvironment are also regulating mucin molecules. In this review, we have discussed all the aforementioned factors and their mechanistic involvement for EMT process.
Keywords: Cancer stem cells, EMT signaling, EMT transcription factors, MUC1, MUC4, MUC16, Mucins, Tumor microenvironment.
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title:Emerging Role of Mucins in Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Volume: 13 Issue: 9
Author(s): Moorthy P. Ponnusamy, Parthasarathy Seshacharyulu, Imayavaramban Lakshmanan, Arokia P. Vaz, Seema Chugh and Surinder K. Batra
Affiliation:
Keywords: Cancer stem cells, EMT signaling, EMT transcription factors, MUC1, MUC4, MUC16, Mucins, Tumor microenvironment.
Abstract: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important and complex phenomenon that determines the aggressiveness of cancer cells. The morphological transformation of cancerous cells is accompanied by various cellular processes such as alterations in cell-cell adhesion, cell matrix degradation, down regulation of epithelial marker Ecadherin and upregulation of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Vimentin. Besides these markers several other important tumor antigens/mucins are also involved in the EMT process. Mainly high molecular weight glycoproteins such as mucin molecules (MUC1, MUC4 and MUC16) play a major role in the cellular transformation and signaling alteration in EMT process. In addition to these factors, EMT may be an essential process triggering the emergence or expansion of the CSC population, which slowly results in the initiation of tumor at metastatic sites. Furthermore, mucins have been demonstrated to be involved in the EMT process and also in the enrichment of cancer stem cell population. Mucin mediated EMT is very complex since the key components of tumor microenvironment are also regulating mucin molecules. In this review, we have discussed all the aforementioned factors and their mechanistic involvement for EMT process.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Ponnusamy P. Moorthy, Seshacharyulu Parthasarathy, Lakshmanan Imayavaramban, Vaz P. Arokia, Chugh Seema and Batra K. Surinder, Emerging Role of Mucins in Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2013; 13 (9) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/15680096113136660100
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/15680096113136660100 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Nitric Oxide Synthase and Cyclooxygenase Pathways: A Complex Interplay in Cellular Signaling
Current Medicinal Chemistry A Missed Proteome in Living Organisms: A Hyppo System
Current Proteomics The Role and Therapeutic Potential of Ser/Thr Phosphatase PP2A in Apoptotic Signalling Networks in Human Cancer Cells
Current Molecular Medicine Advances in Oncolytic Virus Therapy for Glioma
Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Discontinued) The PKB/AKT Pathway in Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Adenine Nucleotide Translocator: A New Potential Chemotherapeutic Target
Current Drug Targets Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors: A Detailed Chemical View on an Elusive Biological Problem
Current Medicinal Chemistry Development of Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitors: A Review on Structure Activity Relationships
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Potential and Cytotoxicity of cis-Platinum Complex with Anti-tumor Activity in Combination Therapy
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Stress, Cardiovascular Diseases and Surgery-Induced Angiogenesis
Current Angiogenesis (Discontinued) Predictive Molecular Markers of Response to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor(EGFR) Family-Targeted Therapies
Current Cancer Drug Targets Radionuclides Used in Nuclear Medicine Therapy – From Production to Dosimetry
Current Medical Imaging Vitamins for Cancer Prevention and Treatment: An Insight
Current Molecular Medicine Radiation-Induced Extracranial Carotid Stenosis
Vascular Disease Prevention (Discontinued) Cancer Stem Cells of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Patent Selections:
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Platinum-Based Agents for Individualized Cancer Treatment
Current Molecular Medicine Potential Cell Signalling Mechanisms Involved in Differential Placental Angiogenesis in Mild and Severe Pre-Eclampsia
Current Vascular Pharmacology New Targeted Therapies for Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Recent Developments of Platinum-based Anticancer Drugs- Detection and Analysis in Biological Samples
Current Organic Chemistry