PDGF receptors in tumor biology: prognostic and predictive potential

PDGF receptors (PDGFRs) exert cell type-specific effects in many different tumor types. They are emerging as key regulators of mesenchymal cells of the tumor microenvironment, and of many common malignancies, such as cancer of the breast, colon and prostate. In some tumor types PDGFRs are genetically activated and are thus directly involved in stimulation of malignant cell growth. Recent studies have uncovered clinically relevant variations in stromal PDGFR expression. High stromal PDGFRβ expression or activation is associated with poor prognosis in breast and prostate cancer. Indications of prognostic significance of stromal PDGFRβ expression in various GI tract tumor types also exist. The prognostic significance of PDGFRα and β in malignant cells of common epithelial tumor types should be further studied. Collectively data suggest that continued characterization of PDGFR expression in human tumors should present opportunities for improved accuracy in prognosis and also allow novel biomarker-based clinical studies exploring the efficacy of PDGFR-directed tumor therapies.