title: Altered hyaluronan biosynthesis in cancer progression.
abstract: Microenvironmental stimuli can influence the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. Notably, the altered biosynthesis of hyaluronan, a constituent of the extracellular microenvironment, has been implicated in the progress and metastasis of carcinomas. The discovery of hyaluronan synthase (HAS) genes, which encode the key enzymes in hyaluronan biosynthesis, has enabled great strides in understanding the mechanism underlying altered hyaluronan production in cancer and the involvement of this polysaccharide in tumor progression. Recent studies using HAS transgenic mice have provided evidence that overproduction of hyaluronan in mammary tumors accelerates tumor growth through the recruitment of stromal cells and vasculature, revealing further insight into how increased hyaluronan influences the malignant behaviors of cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Oncology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute on Aging and Adaptation, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagano 390-8621, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Itano
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D014453:Glucuronosyltransferase; D000076002:Hyaluronan Synthases