Collagen Family as Promising Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Cancer |
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Authors: | Laura Necula Lilia Matei Denisa Dragu Ioana Pitica Ana Neagu Coralia Bleotu Carmen C. Diaconu Mihaela Chivu-Economescu |
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Affiliation: | 1.Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology, 030304 Bucharest, Romania;2.Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, 040441 Bucharest, Romania |
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Abstract: | Despite advances in cancer detection and therapy, it has been estimated that the incidence of cancers will increase, while the mortality rate will continue to remain high, a fact explained by the large number of patients diagnosed in advanced stages when therapy is often useless. Therefore, it is necessary to invest knowledge and resources in the development of new non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of cancer and new therapeutic targets for better health management. In this review, we provided an overview on the collagen family as promising biomarkers and on how they may be exploited as therapeutic targets in cancer. The collagen family tridimensional structure, organization, and functions are very complex, being in a tight relationship with the extracellular matrix, tumor, and immune microenvironment. Moreover, accumulating evidence underlines the role of collagens in promoting tumor growth and creating a permissive tumor microenvironment for metastatic dissemination. Knowledge of the molecular basis of these interactions may help in cancer diagnosis and prognosis, in overcoming chemoresistance, and in providing new targets for cancer therapies. |
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Keywords: | collagens cancer targeted therapy extracellular matrix biomarkers |
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