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Published on: May 11, 2016
The role of CD44 in cancer chemoresistance: A concise review
Zohreh Yaghobi1, Aliakbar Movassaghpour2, Mehdi Talebi2
1Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Abstract:
CD44 is a cell surface adhesion molecule, which is overexpressed on cancer stem cells. The interaction of CD44 with hyaluronan is responsible for tumor development, metastasis, and expression of the chemoresistant phenotype. The overexpression of CD44 impedes the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy medications in various cancers. Therefore, the high expression of CD44 is associated with a poor prognosis in affected patients. This high expression of CD44 in various cancers has provided an ample opportunity for the treatment of patients with chemoresistant malignancy. This review aims to demonstrate the various cross-talk between CD44 and intracellular and extracellular factors and highlight its role in developing chemoresistant tumors in some troublesome cancers.
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