title: The role of NDRG1 in the pathology and potential treatment of human cancers.
abstract: N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) has been well characterised to act as a metastatic suppressor in a number of human cancers. It has also been implicated to have a significant function in a number of physiological processes such as cellular differentiation and cell cycle. In this review, we discuss the role of NDRG1 in cancer pathology. NDRG1 was observed to be downregulated in the majority of cancers. Moreover, the expression of NDRG1 was found to be significantly lower in neoplastic tissues as compared with normal tissues. The most important function of NDRG1 in inhibiting tumour progression is associated with its ability to suppress metastasis. However, it has also been shown to have important effects on other stages of cancer progression (primary tumour growth and angiogenesis). Recently, novel iron chelators with selective antitumour activity (ie, Dp44mT, DpC) were shown to upregulate NDRG1 in cancer cells. Moreover, Dp44mT showed its antimetastatic potential only in cells expressing NDRG1, making this protein an important therapeutic target for cancer chemotherapy. This observation has led to increased interest in the examination of these novel anticancer agents.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology Program, Department of Pathology and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Dong-Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Patric J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zaklina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.forename: C Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sumit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahni
authors.forename: Des R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002465:Cell Movement; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D013882:Thiosemicarbazones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D013882:Thiosemicarbazones; D000099259:N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1 Protein; C539263:di-2-pyridylketone-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone
keywords: CANCER RESEARCH; IRON; METASTASIS