Highlights on endoglin (CD105): from basic findings towards clinical applications in human cancer.
Antibody targeting of tumor-associated vasculature is a promising therapeutic approach in human cancer; however, a specific cell membrane marker for endothelial cells of tumor vasculature has not been discovered yet. Endoglin (CD105) is a cell-surface glycoprotein most recently identified as an optimal indicator of proliferation of human endothelial cells. The finding that CD105 is over-expressed on vascular endothelium in angiogenetic tissues has prompted several pre-clinical studies designed to get a deeper understanding on the role of CD105 in angiogenesis, and to evaluate the most appropriate clinical setting(s) to utilize CD105 as a therapeutic target. In this review, the foreseeable clinical applications of CD105 in human cancer are discussed.
Fonsatti
Ester
E
Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, I,R,C,C,S, 33081 Aviano, Italy. mmaio@cro.it
Maio
Michele
M