TY - JOUR
T1 - Concise review
T2 - Emerging role of CD44 in cancer stem cells: A promising biomarker and therapeutic target
AU - Yan, Yongmin
AU - Zuo, Xiangsheng
AU - Wei, Daoyan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© AlphaMed Press.
PY - 2015/9/1
Y1 - 2015/9/1
N2 - The reception and integration of the plethora of signals a cell receives from its microenvironment determines the cell’s fate. CD44 functions as a receptor for hyaluronan and many other extracellular matrix components, as well as a cofactor for growth factors and cytokines, and thus,CD44is a signaling platform that integrates cellular microenvironmental cues with growth factor and cytokine signals and transduces signals to membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins or to the nucleus to regulate a variety of gene expression levels related to cell-matrix adhesion, cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Accumulating evidence indicates that CD44, especially CD44v isoforms, are cancer stem cell (CSC) markers and critical players in regulating the properties of CSCs, including selfrenewal, tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemoradioresistance. Furthermore, there is ample evidence that CD44, especially CD44v isoforms, are valuable prognostic markers in various types of tumors. Therefore, therapies that target CD44 may destroy the CSC population, and this holds great promise for the cure of life-threatening cancers. However, many challenges remain to determining how best to use CD44 as a biomarker and therapeutic target. Here we summarize the current findings concerning the critical role of CD44/CD44v in the regulation of cancer stemness and the research status of CD44/CD44v as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. We also discuss the current challenges and future directions that may lead to the best use of CD44/CD44v for clinical applications.
AB - The reception and integration of the plethora of signals a cell receives from its microenvironment determines the cell’s fate. CD44 functions as a receptor for hyaluronan and many other extracellular matrix components, as well as a cofactor for growth factors and cytokines, and thus,CD44is a signaling platform that integrates cellular microenvironmental cues with growth factor and cytokine signals and transduces signals to membrane-associated cytoskeletal proteins or to the nucleus to regulate a variety of gene expression levels related to cell-matrix adhesion, cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Accumulating evidence indicates that CD44, especially CD44v isoforms, are cancer stem cell (CSC) markers and critical players in regulating the properties of CSCs, including selfrenewal, tumor initiation, metastasis, and chemoradioresistance. Furthermore, there is ample evidence that CD44, especially CD44v isoforms, are valuable prognostic markers in various types of tumors. Therefore, therapies that target CD44 may destroy the CSC population, and this holds great promise for the cure of life-threatening cancers. However, many challenges remain to determining how best to use CD44 as a biomarker and therapeutic target. Here we summarize the current findings concerning the critical role of CD44/CD44v in the regulation of cancer stemness and the research status of CD44/CD44v as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. We also discuss the current challenges and future directions that may lead to the best use of CD44/CD44v for clinical applications.
KW - Biomarker
KW - CD44
KW - Cancer stem cell
KW - Splicing variants
KW - Therapeutic target
KW - Tumor microenvironment
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84940054659&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5966/sctm.2015-0048
DO - 10.5966/sctm.2015-0048
M3 - Article
C2 - 26136504
AN - SCOPUS:84940054659
SN - 2157-6564
VL - 4
SP - 1033
EP - 1043
JO - Stem Cells Translational Medicine
JF - Stem Cells Translational Medicine
IS - 9
ER -