title: [Role of vimentin in tumor metastasis and drug research].
abstract: Vimentin is the major intermediate filament (IF) protein of mesenchymal cells. Recent studies have shown that vimentin was closely linked with tumorigenesis and metastasis. Vimentin could regulate the interaction between cytoskeletal proteins with cell adhesion molecules and thereby participate in cell adhesion, migration, invasion and cell signal transduction in tumor cells, tumor-associated endothelial cells and macrophages. Its highly dynamic balances between polymer and depolymerization and its complex phosphorylation may serve as the regulation mechanisms for tumor metastasis and cell-cell interactions. Vimentin is likely to be a new target for anti-metastatic therapies and research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014746:Vimentin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D014746:Vimentin