Dishonorable discharge: the oncogenic roles of cleaved E-cadherin fragments.
Strong cell-cell interactions represent a major barrier against cancer cell mobility, and loss of intercellular adhesion by E-cadherin is a fundamental change that occurs during the progression of cancer to invasive disease. However, some aggressive carcinomas retain characteristics of differentiated epithelial cells, including E-cadherin expression. Emerging evidence indicates that proteolysis of E-cadherin generates fragments that promote tumor growth, survival, and motility, suggesting that E-cadherin cleavage converts this tumor suppressor into an oncogenic factor. In this review we discuss the emerging roles of cleaved E-cadherin fragments as modulators of cancer progression, and explore the translational and clinical implications of this research.
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.
Justin M
JM
David
Ayyappan K
AK
Rajasekaran
D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002465:Cell Movement; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway
D015820:Cadherins