Role of extra cellular proteins in gastric cancer progression and metastasis: an update

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with a high ratio of mortality. Regarding the late diagnosis, there is a high ratio of distant metastasis among GC cases. Despite the recent progresses in therapeutic modalities, there is not still an efficient therapeutic method to increase survival rate of metastatic GC cases.

Apart from the various intracellular signaling pathways which are involved in tumor cell migration and metastasis, the local microenvironment is also a critical regulator of tumor cell migration. Indeed, the intracellular signaling pathways also exert their final metastatic roles through regulation of extra cellular matrix (ECM). Therefore, it is required to assess the role of extra cellular components in biology of GC.

In the present review, we summarize 48 of the significant ECM components including 17 ECM modifying enzymes, seven extracellular angiogenic factors, 13 cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organizers, seven matricellular proteins and growth factors, and four proteoglycans and extra cellular glycoproteins. This review paves the way of determination of a specific extra cellular diagnostic and prognostic panel marker for the GC patients.