title: Cadherin 13 in cancer.
abstract: We review the evidence suggesting the involvement of Cadherin 13 (CDH13, T-cadherin, H-cadherin) in various cancers. CDH13 is an atypical member of the cadherin family, devoid of a transmembrane domain and anchored to the exterior surface of the plasma membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. CDH13 is thought to affect cellular behavior largely through its signaling properties. It is often down-regulated in cancerous cells. CDH13 down-regulation has been associated with poorer prognosis in various carcinomas, such as lung, ovarian, cervical and prostate cancer. CDH13 re-expression in most cancer cell lines inhibits cell proliferation and invasiveness, increases susceptibility to apoptosis, and reduces tumor growth in in vivo models. These properties suggest that CDH13 may represent a possible target for therapy in some cancers. At the same time, CDH13 is up-regulated in blood vessels growing through tumors and promotes tumor neovascularization. In contrast to most cancer cell lines, CDH13 overexpression in endothelial cells promotes their proliferation and migration, and has a pro-survival effect. We also discuss molecular mechanisms that may regulate CDH13 expression and underlie its roles in cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. aandreev@uic.edu
authors.forename: Alexandra V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Andreeva
authors.forename: Mikhail A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kutuzov
mesh_terms: D015820:Cadherins / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin