EpCAM and its potential role in tumor-initiating cells.
Epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM is expressed on a subset of normal epithelia and overexpressed on malignant cells from a variety of different tumor entities. This overexpression is even more pronounced on so-called tumor-initiating cells (TICs) of many carcinomas. Taking this rather ubiquitous expression of EpCAM in carcinomas and TICs into account, the question arises how EpCAM can serve as a reliable marker for tumor-initiating cells and what might be the advantage for TICs to express this molecule. Furthermore, several approaches for therapeutic strategies targeting exclusively EpCAM on cancer cells were undertaken over the past decades and have recently been transferred to pre-clinical attempts to eradicate TICs. In the present review, we will depict potential functions of EpCAM in tumor cells with a special focus on TICs and therapeutic implications.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sannia
S
Imrich
Matthias
M
Hachmeister
Olivier
O
Gires
D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; C499379:EPCAM protein, human; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule