title: Malignant mesothelioma--a connective tissue tumor with proteoglycan-dependent differentiation.
abstract: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a connective tissue tumor with partial epithelioid differentiation. The pattern of proteoglycan (PG) expression by epithelioid and fibroblast-like (sarcomatoid) MM cells differ; cell surface PGs being more abundant in the former phenotype and matrix PGs in the latter. The differentiation as well as much of the malignant nature of these tumors is dependent on the expression of surface PGs. The syndecans, however, also translocate to the nucleus for an as yet unknown function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hjerpe
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobra
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D053673:Glypicans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D053667:Syndecans / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C105937:GPC3 protein, human; D053673:Glypicans; D011509:Proteoglycans; D053667:Syndecans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid