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Analysis of the E-cadherin repressor Snail in primary human cancers

K-F Becker1, E Rosivatz, K Blechschmidt

  • 1Institut für Pathologie, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany. kf.becker@lrz.tum.de

Cells, Tissues, Organs
|June 26, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Snail, a key molecule in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is reviewed for its role in 9 cancer types. Its overexpression correlates with clinical-pathological parameters in some cancers, particularly hormone-dependent ones.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental process critical for tumor progression.
  • The Snail protein, an E-cadherin repressor, promotes carcinoma cell migration and invasion.
  • Numerous studies have investigated Snail expression in clinical cancer samples.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the expression of Snail in various clinical cancer samples.
  • To evaluate the correlation between Snail expression and clinical-pathological parameters across different tumor types.
  • To assess the potential clinical utility of Snail as a biomarker in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies reporting Snail expression in clinical samples.
  • Analysis of data from 2,112 cases across 9 different tumor types.
  • Evaluation of correlations between Snail overexpression and clinical-pathological parameters.

Main Results:

  • Snail overexpression shows a clear correlation with clinical-pathological parameters in some analyzed cancer types.
  • Snail appears significant in hormone-dependent carcinomas but less so in gastrointestinal cancers for dedifferentiation and invasion.
  • The threshold for Snail activity may vary between different tumor types.

Conclusions:

  • Snail plays a role in tumor progression, particularly in certain cancers like hormone-dependent carcinomas.
  • Further research utilizing novel monoclonal antibodies may clarify Snail's clinical usefulness in specific cancer types.
  • Snail's role in tumor dedifferentiation and invasion requires further investigation across diverse cancers.

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