title: Glucose regulated protein 78: a critical link between tumor microenvironment and cancer hallmarks.
abstract: Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) has long been recognized as a molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and can be induced by the ER stress response. Besides its location in the ER, GRP78 has been found to be present in cell plasma membrane, cytoplasm, mitochondria, nucleus as well as cellular secretions. GRP78 is implicated in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis resistance, immune escape, metastasis and angiogenesis, and its elevated expression usually correlates with a variety of tumor microenvironmental stresses, including hypoxia, glucose deprivation, lactic acidosis and inflammatory response. GRP78 protein acts as a centrally located sensor of stress, which feels and adapts to the alteration in the tumor microenvironment. This article reviews the potential contributions of GRP78 to the acquisition of cancer hallmarks based on intervening in stress responses caused by tumor niche alterations. The paper also introduces several potential GRP78 relevant targeted therapies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, The Key Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Education Ministry, Shanxi University, 030006 Taiyuan, PR China.
authors.forename: Zongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhuoyu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D023281:Genomics; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins