title: Tissue Factor: A Conventional or Alternative Target in Cancer Therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tissue factor (TF) is an evolutionary conserved glycoprotein that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. TF is expressed in 2 naturally occurring protein isoforms, membrane-bound full-length (fl)TF and soluble alternatively spliced (as)TF. Both isoforms have been shown to affect a variety of pathophysiologically relevant functions, such as tumor-associated angiogenesis, thrombogenicity, tumor growth, and metastasis. Therefore, targeting TF either by direct inhibition or indirectly, i.e., on a posttranscriptional level, offers a novel therapeutic option for cancer treatment.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this review we summarize the latest findings regarding the role of TF and its isoforms in cancer biology. Moreover, we briefly depict and discuss the therapeutic potential of direct and/or indirect inhibition of TF activity and expression for the treatment of cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  asTF and flTF play important and often distinct roles in cancer biology, i.e., in thrombogenicity and angiogenesis, which is mediated by isoform-specific signal transduction pathways. Therefore, both TF isoforms and downstream signaling are promising novel therapeutic targets in malignant diseases.
authors.affiliation: Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CC04, Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Berlin, Germany; andreas.eisenreich@charite.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eisenreich
authors.affiliation: Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CC04, Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Berlin, Germany;
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bolbrinker
authors.affiliation: Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CC02, Institut für Physiologie, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Leppert
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D013925:Thromboplastin