title: Nuclear receptors in pancreatic tumor cells.
abstract: This review focuses on nuclear receptors expressed in pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  
  An extensive search of articles published up to March 2013 was conducted using the MEDLINE database. The key words used were "pancreatic cancer", "molecular receptors" and "growth factors". A total of 112 articles referred to pancreatic cancer, molecular receptors and/or growth factors were included.
  
  
  
  Receptors of growth factors, such as the epithelial growth factor receptor, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor and others, such as integrin α5β1, somatostatin receptors, the death receptor 5, claudin, notch receptors, mesothelin receptors, follicle-stimulating hormone receptors, the MUC1 receptor, the adrenomedullin receptor, the farnesoid X receptor, the transferrin receptor, sigma-2 receptors, the chemokine receptor CXCR4, the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, the ephrine A2 receptor, the GRIA3 receptor, the RON receptor and the angiotensin II receptor AT-1 are expressed in pancreatic tumor cells. These molecules are implicated in tumor growth, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis etc.
  
  
  
  After identifying the molecular receptors associated with the pancreatic cancer, many more target molecules playing important roles in tumor pathophysiology and senescence-associated signal transduction in cancer cells will be identified. This may have a significant influence on diagnosis, therapy and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece x_damaskos@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damaskos
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece x_damaskos@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garmpis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karatzas
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Kostakis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Lampros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nikolidakis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Alkiviadis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kostakis
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouraklis
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor
keywords: Pancreatic cancer; growth factors; nuclear receptors; tumor cells