title: Role of Rho GTPases in breast cancer.
abstract: Small GTPase Rho signaling pathways regulate the growth, motility, invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Aberrant Rho signaling, as results from alterations in the levels of Rho GTPase proteins, the status of activation, and the abundance of effector proteins, is found in breast cancers. Alterations of Rho signaling particularly impact the cytoskeleton, whose organization and reorganization underpin the motility of breast cancer cells during the invasive growth and metastasis of breast cancer. Progress is being made to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which Rho GTPases activate the downstream signaling effectors. Further investigations are required for development of novel tumor therapeutic strategies targeting the Rho GTPase signaling pathways to treat breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute, Springfield, IL 62702, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Lola
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olufemi
authors.forename: Man-Tzu
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Daotai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D020764:cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins