Soluble cadherins as cancer biomarkers.
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.
De Wever
Olivier
O
Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Medical Oncology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Gent, Belgium.
Derycke
Lara
L
Hendrix
An
A
De Meerleer
Gert
G
Godeau
François
F
Depypere
Herman
H
Bracke
Marc
M
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins