Clinicopathological significance of stromal variables: angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, inflammatory infiltration, MMP and PINCH in colorectal carcinomas

Mol Cancer. 2006 Oct 6:5:43. doi: 10.1186/1476-4598-5-43.

Abstract

Cancer research has mainly focused on alterations of genes and proteins in cancer cells themselves that result in either gain-of-function in oncogenes or loss-of-function in tumour-suppressor genes. However, stromal variables within or around tumours, including blood and lymph vessels, stromal cells and various proteins, have also important impacts on tumour development and progression. It has been shown that disruption of stromal-epithelial interactions influences cellular proliferation, differentiation, death, motility, genomic integrity, angiogenesis, and other phenotypes in various tissues. Moreover, stromal variables are also critical to therapy in cancer patients. In this review, we mainly focus on the clinicopathological significance of stromal variables including angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, inflammatory infiltration, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), and the particularly interesting new cysteine-histidine rich protein (PINCH) in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy
  • Adenocarcinoma / etiology*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / etiology*
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • Lymphangiogenesis / physiology*
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases / metabolism
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases / physiology*
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Models, Biological
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / pathology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / etiology*
  • Stromal Cells / pathology
  • Stromal Cells / physiology*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • LIM Domain Proteins
  • LIMS1 protein, human
  • Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Matrix Metalloproteinases