Role of chemokines and their receptors in cancer.
Metastases are the cause of 90% of human cancer deaths. The current treatment of cancer with chemo,- and/or radiotherapy is based on cell death by DNA damage neglecting the fact that cancer cell invasion into surrounding tissues and metastasizing are fundamental features of neoplasms and the major reason for treatment failure. Metastasis is the result of several sequential steps and represents a highly organized, non-random, and organ-selective process. A number of in vitro and in vivo models show that tumor cells use chemokine-mediated mechanisms during this metastasizing process, comparable to those observed in the regulation of leukocyte trafficking. Furthermore, chemokines modulate tumor behavior such as the regulation of tumor-associated angiogenesis, activation of host tumor-specific immunological responses, and direct stimulation of tumor cell proliferation in an autocrine fashion. These findings may lead to new drugs that target chemokines or their receptors and will likely be of great additional value for treatment of cancer patients.
Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands.
Roeliene C
RC
Kruizinga
Jovanka
J
Bestebroer
Paul
P
Berghuis
Carla J C
CJ
de Haas
Thera P
TP
Links
Elisabeth G E
EG
de Vries
Annemiek M E
AM
Walenkamp
D000818:Animals; D018925:Chemokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology
D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled