S100A4 in cancer progression and metastasis: A systematic review

Abstract

// Fei Fei 1, 2 , Jie Qu 1, 2 , Mingqing Zhang 3 , Yuwei Li 3 and Shiwu Zhang 2 1 Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R.China 2 Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 300121, P.R. China 3 Department of Colorectal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, 300121, P.R. China Correspondence to: Shiwu Zhang, email: zhangshiwu666@aliyun.com Keywords: S100A4, metastasis, malignant tumor, epithelial-mesenchymal transition Received: April 11, 2017      Accepted: May 08, 2017      Published: May 19, 2017 ABSTRACT Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death and directly associates with cancer progression, resistance to anticancer therapy, and poor patient survival. Current efforts focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis attract a special attention to cancer researchers. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition is a complex of molecular program during embryogenesis, inflammation, tissue fibrosis, and cancer progression and metastasis. S100A4, an important member of S100 family proteins, functions to increase the tumor progression and metastasis. The molecular mechanisms of S100A4 involving in the progression and metastasis are diverse in various malignant tumors. Detection of S100A4 expression becomes a promising candidate biomarker in cancer early diagnosis and prediction of cancer metastasis and therefore, S100A4 may be a therapeutic target. This review summarized up to date advancement on the role of S100A4 in human cancer development, progression, and metastasis and the underlying molecular events and then strategies to target S100A4 expression experimentally.