title: Novel roles of DC-SIGNR in colon cancer cell adhesion, migration, invasion, and liver metastasis.
abstract: Tumor metastasis is an essential cause of the poor prognosis of colon cancer. DC-SIGNR is a C-type lectin that is frequently found on human liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. LSECtin, which is a homologue of DC-SIGNR, has been demonstrated to participate in colon cancer liver metastasis. Due to the similarities in the expression pattern and structure of the two proteins, we speculated that DC-SIGNR could also be involved in this process.
  
  
  
  Colon cancer cells were treated with the DC-SIGNR protein or control IgG, after which cell migration, invasion, and morphology were assayed. Xenograft mouse models were used to determine the role of DC-SIGNR in colon cancer liver metastasis in vivo. In addition, a human gene expression array was used to detect differential gene expression in colon cancer cells stimulated with the DC-SIGNR protein. The serum level of DC-SIGNR was examined in colon cancer patients by ELISA, and the significance of DC-SIGNR was determined.
  
  
  
  In our research, we investigated whether DC-SIGNR promotes colon cancer cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. Knocking down mouse DC-SIGNR decreased the liver metastatic potency of colon cancer cells and increased survival time. Expressing human DC-SIGNR enhanced colon cancer liver metastasis. Furthermore, DC-SIGNR conferred metastatic capability on cancer cells by upregulating various metallothionein isoforms. To validate the above results, we also found that the serum DC-SIGNR level was statistically higher in colon cancer patients with liver metastasis compared with those without metastasis.
  
  
  
  These results imply that DC-SIGNR may promote colon carcinoma hepatic metastasis and could serve as a promising therapeutic target for anticancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Heya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China.
authors.forename: Xinsheng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China.
authors.forename: Menglang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116023, China. zyf04112002@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Shuangyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Laboratory Diagnostic Medicine, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China. rsydl@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Yunfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002465:Cell Movement; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D051379:Mice; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C433029:CLEC4M protein, human; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface
keywords: Colon cancer liver metastasis; DC-SIGNR; Metallothioneins