title: Emerging targets in cancer management: role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis.
abstract: The chemokine CXCL12 (SDF-1) and its cell surface receptor CXCR4 were first identified as regulators of lymphocyte trafficking to the bone marrow. Soon after, the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis was proposed to regulate the trafficking of breast cancer cells to sites of metastasis. More recently, it was established that CXCR4 plays a central role in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and dissemination in the majority of malignant diseases. The stem cell concept of cancer has revolutionized the understanding of tumorigenesis and cancer treatment. A growing body of evidence indicates that a subset of cancer cells, referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs), plays a critical role in tumor initiation, metastatic colonization, and resistance to therapy. Although the signals generated by the metastatic niche that regulate CSCs are not yet fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests a key role of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis. In this review we focus on physiological functions of the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway and its role in cancer and CSCs, and we discuss the potential for targeting this pathway in cancer management.
authors.affiliation: OncoRay National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cojoc
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peitzsch
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trautmann
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Polishchuk
authors.forename: Gennady D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Telegeev
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubrovska
keywords: cancer stem cells; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; metastasis