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Podoplanin - a small glycoprotein with many faces.
Maciej Ugorski1, Piotr Dziegiel2, Jaroslaw Suchanski3
1Laboratory of Glycobiology and Cell Interactions, Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of SciencesWroclaw, Poland; Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Environmental and Life SciencesWroclaw, Poland.
American Journal of Cancer Research
|May 18, 2016
Summary
Podoplanin, a mucin-type protein, is crucial for normal development but its role in cancer progression and metastasis is unclear. Further research is needed to understand podoplanin
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Oncology
Background:
- Podoplanin is a mucin-type glycoprotein found on normal cells like lymphatic endothelium and pneumocytes.
- Its elevated expression or neo-expression is observed in various human carcinomas, particularly squamous cell carcinomas.
- Podoplanin is also present on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in several tumor types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the physiological roles of podoplanin.
- To discuss the involvement of podoplanin in carcinogenesis.
- To clarify the controversial role of podoplanin in cancer development and progression.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on podoplanin.
- Analysis of podoplanin expression in normal tissues and various cancers.
- Examination of data from gene-knock-out mouse models.
Main Results:
- Podoplanin is essential for normal lung, lymphatic, and heart development.
- High podoplanin expression in cancer cells and CAFs correlates with lymph node metastasis and reduced patient survival.
- The precise biological functions of podoplanin in cancer remain unclear and debated.
Conclusions:
- Podoplanin plays a dual role in physiology and pathology.
- Understanding podoplanin's function in cancer is critical for therapeutic strategies.
- Further investigation is warranted to elucidate podoplanin's mechanisms in tumorigenesis.
