Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Defining Gene Functions in Tumorigenesis by Ex vivo Ablation of Floxed Alleles in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells
09:37

Defining Gene Functions in Tumorigenesis by Ex vivo Ablation of Floxed Alleles in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor Cells

Published on: August 25, 2021

Toll-like receptors expressed in tumor cells: targets for therapy

Li Yu1, Shangwu Chen

  • 1Department of Histopathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China. liyuuk@yahoo.co.uk

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy : CII
|February 8, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are crucial for immune defense and are increasingly found in cancers. Their expression correlates with tumor progression, immune escape, and resistance to therapies, highlighting TLRs as potential anticancer targets.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key components of the innate immune system, recognizing microbial molecules.
  • Recent studies show TLR expression or upregulation in various tumor cells, particularly epithelial cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in cancer progression and their potential as therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of TLR expression in tumor cell lines and clinical tumor samples.
  • Functional assays to assess the impact of TLR engagement on tumor cell behavior.

Main Results:

  • TLR expression is associated with tumor progression and malignant transformation in epithelial cells.
  • Engagement of TLRs enhances tumor growth, promotes immune escape, and confers resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

  • Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a significant role in cancer development and progression.
  • TLRs represent a promising target for novel anticancer drug development, with agonists or antagonists as potential therapeutic agents.

More Related Videos

Analyzing Tumor and Tissue Distribution of Target Antigen Specific Therapeutic Antibody07:36

Analyzing Tumor and Tissue Distribution of Target Antigen Specific Therapeutic Antibody

Published on: May 16, 2020

Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens09:53

Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens

Published on: February 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...