Abstract
Treatment of malignant disease is of paramount importance in modern medicine. In 2012, it was estimated that 162,000 people died from cancer in the UK which illustrates a fundamental problem. Traditional treatments for cancer have various drawbacks, and this creates a considerable need for specific, molecular targets to overcome cancer spread. Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN) is an actin-associated molecule which has been implicated in the development and progression of various cancers including breast, prostate, oesophageal and lung where EPLIN expression is frequently lost as the cancer progresses. EPLIN is important in the regulation of actin dynamics and has multiple associations at epithelial cells junctions. Thus, EPLIN loss in cancer may have significant effects on cancer cell migration and invasion, increasing metastatic potential. Overexpression of EPLIN has proved to be an effective tool for manipulating cancerous traits such as reducing cell growth and cell motility and rendering cells less invasive illustrating the therapeutic potential of EPLIN. Here, we review the current state of knowledge of EPLIN, highlighting EPLIN involvement in regulating cytoskeletal dynamics, signalling pathways and implications in cancer and metastasis.
Highlights
The incidence of cancer is slowly rising and has become a global burden
Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN) is a molecule involved in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and has been implicated in the development and progression of various cancer types, displaying frequent downregulation or loss in cancer, creating a potential for prognostic targeting and as a tumour suppressor
The interaction of EPLIN and actin has provided an excellent model for investigating multiple aspects of cancer progression over the last decade
Summary
The incidence of cancer is slowly rising and has become a global burden. A fundamental reason why cancer is such a problem is because of its ability to spread, invade surrounding tissue and potentially form secondary cancers at distinct sites around the body by metastasis. In the UK alone, mortality rates reached 162,000 annual deaths [2]. Epithelial protein lost in neoplasm (EPLIN) is a molecule involved in regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and has been implicated in the development and progression of various cancer types, displaying frequent downregulation or loss in cancer, creating a potential for prognostic targeting and as a tumour suppressor. This current review discusses EPLIN’s role in actin dynamics and in the pathophysiology of cancer development and progression
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