title: CXCL12-CXCR4 contributes to the implication of bone marrow in cancer metastasis.
abstract: The CXCL12-CXCR4 axis is postulated to be a key pathway in the interaction between (cancer) stem cells and their surrounding supportive cells in the (cancer) stem cell niche. As the bone marrow constitutes a unique microenvironment for cancer cells, the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis assists the bone marrow in regulating cancer progression. This interaction can be disrupted by CXCR4 antagonists, and this concept is being used clinically to harvest hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from the bone marrow. The functions of CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in cancer cell-tumor microenvironment interaction and angiogenesis have been recently studied. This review focuses on how CXCL12-CXCR4 helps the bone marrow in creating a tumor mircoenvironment that results in the cancer metastasis. It also discusses ongoing research regarding the clinical feasibility of CXCR4 inhibitors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Jingsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yibing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Siqun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Feiyan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gangyong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000235:genetics*; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C515255:CXCL12 protein, human; C527276:CXCR4 protein, human; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4