Heparanase: a universal immunotherapeutic target in human cancers

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells
11:08

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Published on: February 14, 2025

Ya-Fei Zhang1, Xu-Dong Tang, Jin-Hua Gao

  • 1Institute of Gastroenterology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, PR China.

Drug Discovery Today
|March 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Heparanase is crucial for cancer metastasis. Targeting heparanase in immunotherapy offers a promising strategy to reduce cancer spread and mortality by exploiting its overexpression in tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Heparanase is a key enzyme implicated in tumor metastasis.
  • Its expression levels correlate with the metastatic potential of various cancers.
  • Heparanase is overexpressed in cancer cells while typically silenced in normal tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of heparanase in tumor metastasis.
  • To highlight heparanase as a universal target for cancer immunotherapy.
  • To summarize recent advancements in heparanase-targeted cancer immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of heparanase function in metastasis.
  • Analysis of heparanase expression patterns in normal versus cancerous tissues.
  • Evaluation of preclinical and clinical studies on heparanase-targeted immunotherapies.

Main Results:

  • Heparanase plays a significant role in facilitating tumor cell invasion and metastasis.
  • Downregulation of heparanase can impede immune escape mechanisms.
  • Emerging immunotherapy strategies targeting heparanase show potential for reducing cancer mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Heparanase's unique expression profile makes it an attractive target for universal cancer immunotherapy.
  • Targeting heparanase could disrupt metastasis and improve patient outcomes.
  • Further research into heparanase-targeted therapies is warranted.

More Related Videos

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo12:42

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo

Published on: January 7, 2019

An Oncogenic Hepatocyte-Induced Orthotopic Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Cancer Arising in the Setting of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis06:38

An Oncogenic Hepatocyte-Induced Orthotopic Mouse Model of Hepatocellular Cancer Arising in the Setting of Hepatic Inflammation and Fibrosis

Published on: September 12, 2019

Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
Cancer Vaccines01:30

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
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...
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: