Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays
Published on: June 1, 2014
Chemokine-protease interactions in cancer
Jo Van Damme1, Sofie Struyf, Ghislain Opdenakker
1Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium. Josef.VanDamme@rega.kuleuven.ac.be
Abstract:
Solid tumour and leukemic cells expressing chemokine receptors, metastasize to chemokine-secreting organs. Chemokines indirectly affect tumour development by attracting immunocompetent cells with pro- or anti-tumoral activities. Various membrane-associated and soluble proteases selectively cleave specific chemokines. Precursor plasma chemokines (CXCL7, CCL14) need to be proteolytically processed to obtain receptor affinity. Angiogenic CXC chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL8) have increased CXCR1/CXCR2 affinity after limited NH2-terminal processing, whereas truncated angiostatic chemokines (CXCL10) show lower CXCR3 affinity without loss of angiostatic potential. NH2-terminally cleaved monocyte chemotactic proteins (CCL2, CCL7, CCL8) have impaired capacity to attract tumour-associated macrophages and function as receptor antagonists for intact CC chemokines. Migration of Th1/CCR5+ and Th2/CCR4+ effector lymphocytes toward CCR5 (CCL5, CCL3L1) and CCR4 (CCL22) ligands is affected by cleavage. Although proteolytical processing of chemokines is well studied in vitro, the direct or indirect effects on tumour invasion and metastasis are only poorly evaluated.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
The Tumor Microenvironment
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

