Novel patented therapeutic approaches targeting the 37/67 kDa laminin receptor for treatment of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
BACKGROUND
The 37/67 kDa high-affinity laminin receptor (laminin receptor precursor/laminin receptor, LRP/LR) is a multi-faceted cellular receptor. It plays a vital role in the malignancy of various cancer types where it is seen to contribute to invasion, adhesion, apoptosis evasion and angiogenesis. Furthermore, it has been found to play an important role in facilitating the processes leading to neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Various therapeutic options targeting this receptor have been patented with the outlook on application for the treatment/prevention of these diseases.


METHODS
The various roles that LRP/LR plays in cancer, AD and infectious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria have been examined in detail and an overview of the current patented therapeutic strategies targeting this receptor is given.


CONCLUSIONS
Molecular tools directed against LRP/LR, such as antibodies and small interfering RNA, could prove to be effective in the prevention of metastasis and angiogenesis while inducing apoptosis in cancers. Moreover, these strategies could also be applied to AD where LRP/LR is seen to facilitate the production and internalization of the neurotoxic Aβ peptide. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms by which LRP/LR is involved in eliciting pathogenic events, while showing how the use of patented approaches targeting this receptor could be used to treat them.
University of the Witwatersrand, School of Molecular and Cell Biology , Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, Johannesburg , Republic of South Africa.
Katarina
K
Jovanovic
Carryn J
CJ
Chetty
Thandokuhle
T
Khumalo
Bianca
B
Da Costa Dias
Eloise
E
Ferreira
Sibusiso T
ST
Malindisa
Robert
R
Caveney
Boitelo T
BT
Letsolo
Stefan F T
SF
Weiss
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017474:Receptors, Laminin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C510624:RPSA protein, human; D017474:Receptors, Laminin; D012269:Ribosomal Proteins
Alzheimer’s disease; angiogenesis; antibody; apoptosis; cancer; laminin receptor precursor/laminin receptor; metastasis; small interfering RNA; therapy