Semaphorins at the interface of development and cancer.
Semaphorins (Semas), a family of evolutionarily conserved secreted and transmembrane proteins, were initially identified as axon guidance regulators and have since been implicated in the development of a number of other tissues. Sema signaling also regulates a variety of processes that are linked to cancer (i.e. metastasis, cell migration, cell growth). The mechanisms by which Sema signaling regulates axonogenesis and tumorigenesis are strikingly similar, making advances in either field applicable to the alternate discipline. Here, recent advances in understanding the roles of Semas in development and cancer, as well as the therapeutic potential for targeting this signaling pathway in human cancers, are reviewed.
Flannery
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E
University of Notre Dame, Department of Biological Sciences and Walther Cancer Institute, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
Duman-Scheel
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M
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D039961:Semaphorins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D039961:Semaphorins