title: Rab27 GTPases distribute extracellular nanomaps for invasive growth and metastasis: implications for prognosis and treatment.
abstract: The Rab27 family of small GTPases regulates exocytosis of distinct vesicle types including multivesicular endosomes, which results in the release of exosomes. Exosomes are nanometer-sized membrane vesicles that enclose soluble factors such as proteins and nucleic acids within a lipid bilayer and can travel toward distant tissues to influence multiple aspects of cell behavior. In our view that tumors are endocrine organs producing exosomes, Rab27 GTPases and their effector proteins are critical determinants for invasive growth and metastasis. Rab27 proteins and their effectors may serve as prognostic biomarkers or as targets for patient-tailored therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research, Department of Radiation Oncology and Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. an.hendrix@ugent.be.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hendrix
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Wever
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005089:Exocytosis; D055354:Exosomes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000075745:rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins
chemical_list: D000075745:rab27 GTP-Binding Proteins; C066694:RAB27A protein, human; C512960:Rab27B protein, human; D020691:rab GTP-Binding Proteins