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Masquerader: high mobility group box-1 and cancer

Jessica E Ellerman1, Charles K Brown, Michael de Vera

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
|May 17, 2007
PubMed

Insights

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein is involved in cellular processes and diseases like cancer. Overexpressed HMGB1, with its receptor, promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis, offering potential therapeutic targets.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein, identified 33 years ago, has diverse cellular roles.
  • Initially chromatin-associated, HMGB1 is also found in cytoplasm and extracellularly as a cytokine.
  • HMGB1 is implicated in various diseases, including Alzheimer's, sepsis, arthritis, and cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of HMGB1 in cancer development and metastasis.
  • To explore HMGB1's association with tumor proliferation and spread.
  • To identify potential therapeutic targets related to HMGB1 in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of HMGB1's functions and disease associations.
  • Analysis of studies linking HMGB1 overexpression to cancer progression.
  • Examination of HMGB1's role in conjunction with its receptor for advanced glycation end products.

Main Results:

  • HMGB1 overexpression, especially with its receptor, correlates with proliferation and metastasis in breast, colon, and melanoma.
  • HMGB1 acts as a cytokine and differentiation factor.
  • HMGB1 is implicated in tumor growth and spread.

Conclusions:

  • HMGB1 plays a significant role in cancer development and metastasis.
  • Targeting HMGB1 and its receptor presents a potential therapeutic strategy for various cancers.
  • Further research into HMGB1's mechanisms in cancer is warranted.

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