Nucleolin; A tumor associated antigen as a potential lung cancer biomarker

Lung cancer is a primary cause of mortality in many communities. The poor prognosis and clinical outcome of this cancer are mostly attributable to its advanced stage upon diagnosis, and as a result, it places a significant cost on public health across the globe. The majority of patients experience severe adverse effects from conventional therapies that involve nonspecific invasion of both healthy and malignant cells. Furthermore, no particular tumor marker has been developed to evaluate the patients' status and prognosis. NCL as one of the vital nuclear proteins is involved in various cellular activities, including ribosome assembly and rRNA processing. Research have shown that following malignant transformation in lung cancer cells, both the cytosolic and plasma membrane levels of this protein rise dramatically. Furthermore, signaling generated by the surface nucleolin significantly enhances tumor proliferation, differentiation, and angiogenesis. On the other hand, findings showed that altering the size and other properties of tumor cells may influence the expression pattern of nucleolin. Therefore, in the current study, we intend to review the role of nucleolin in the development and progression of lung cancer cells and also evaluate its potential as a prognostic, therapeutic as well as diagnostic marker in lung cancer patients.