Publication: The role of CD44 in the development and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
Authors
Assimakopoulos, D. ; Kolettas, E. ; Patrikakos, G. ; Evangelou, A.
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
CD44, the product of a single gene, exists as
several isoforms generated by alternative exon splicing
and posttranslational modifications, and is widely
distributed in different cells and tissues including those
of squamocellular origin. CD44 is a cell surface
glycoprotein involved in many cellular processes acting
as a receptor for cell to cell or cell to matrix adhesion, as
a signal transmitter and as a growth factor-presenting
molecule. Numerous studies based on immunohistochemical
analyses of paraffin-embedded or frozen tissue
sections using different monoclonal antibodies to CD44
isoforms and molecular biological techniques have
provided evidence that in many types of tumours there is
overexpression of CD44 isoforms and aberrant
processing of immature CD44 transcripts relative to nonneoplastic
control tissues, suggesting a role of CD44 in
tumour development and progression. In contrast to
these malignancies, one or more of the CD44 splicevariant
isoforms are down-regulated in squamous cell
carcinomas of the head and neck. CD44-deficient mice
develop normally without giving rise to spontaneous
tumours, but CD44-negative cells appear to be more
susceptible to oncogenic transformation. Reduction in
the expression of CD44 may confer growth advantage
and malignant properties to tumour cells. The clinical
significance of CD44 in squamous cell carcinomas of the
head and neck as a tumour marker for cancer diagnosis
and prognosis is discussed.
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