What is E-cadherin in cancer?
E-cadherin is a well-known tumor suppressor protein, and the loss of its expression in tumor cells, in association with the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), occurs frequently during tumor progression and metastasis (Cano et al., 2000 ; Yang and Weinberg, 2008 ; Nieto, 2011 ; Valastyan and Weinberg, 2011 ; Huang …
Do cancer cells have high levels of E-cadherin?
1C), most of the tumor cells in the lung still expressed high levels of E-cadherin. This indicates that metastatic cells had not escaped the action of the mAb simply because they lost expression.
Can targeting e-cadherin be a promising cancer therapy?
E-cadherin plays a pivotal role in cancer progression, including the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and tumor metastasis. Loss of E-cadherin contributes to enhanced invasion and metastasis in human cancers. Therefore, restoring E-cadherin could be a potential approach for cancer therapy.
Does cadherins play a role in carcinogenesis?
Similarly, H-cadherin participate in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (68). Therefore, cadherins function not only as the molecules of cell-cell adhesion but also as factors which induce tumorigenesis predominantly through Wnt/β-catenin or other signaling pathways.
Are cadherins desmosomes?
The desmosomal cadherins (DCs) are adhesion molecules of desmosomes, intercellular junctions of epithelia and cardiac muscle. DCs have the unique ability to adopt a hyperadhesive state that is characterised by enhanced stability and adhesive strength.
What causes loss of E-cadherin?
In human tumors, loss or reduction of E-cadherin expression can be caused by somatic mutations, chromosomal deletions, proteolytic cleavage, and silencing of the CDH1 promoter ( 15– 18).
How does cadherin 22 promote metastasis?
The researchers from the University of Guelph found that it is precisely under conditions of low oxygen that cancer cells trigger the production of cadherin-22, putting in motion a kind of protein boost that helps bind cells together, enhancing cellular movement, invasion and likely metastasis.
What is E-cadherin?
E-cadherin is a calcium-regulated adhesion molecule expressed in most normal epithelial tissues[1]. The E-cadherin gene is located on chromosome 16q22. 1[2]. E-cadherin is associated with gland formation, stratification, and epithelial polarization[3].
What is the role of E-cadherin / β-catenin complex?
E-cadherin/ β -catenin protein complexes are involved actively in epithelial to mesenchymal (EMT) and mesenchymal to epithelial (MET) transitions, which play a particularly important role in embryo development, tissue fibrosis, and cancer progression.
What is the role of E-cadherin in EMT?
Loss of E-cadherin likely promotes β-catenin release and facilitates EMT, whereas the expression of E-cadherin can reverse the transformed phenotype [33–36]. β-catenin plays an important role in the TGF-β1- and cell contact-dependent, synergistic induction of EMT [37].
What is the function of E-cadherin in DCS?
Recent progress uncovered a novel and critical role for this adhesion molecule in mononuclear phagocyte functions. E-cadherin regulates the maturation and migration of Langerhans cells, and its ligation prevents the induction of a tolerogenic state in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs).
How is E-cadherin linked to the epithelial barrier?
E-cadherin is functionally linked to the generation of a polarized epithelial phenotype [ 6 M. J. Wheelock and P. J. Jensen, “Regulation of keratinocyte intercellular junction organization and epidermal morphogenesis by E-cadherin,” Journal of Cell Biology, vol. 117, no. 2, pp. 415–425, 1992.