Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a highly conserved process in which polarized, immobile epithelial cells lose tight junctions, associated adherence, and become migratory mesenchymal cells. Several transcription factors, including the Snail/Slug family, Twist, δEF1/ZEB1, SIP1/ZEB2 and E12/E47 respond to microenvironmental stimuli and function as molecular switches for the EMT program. Snail is a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor controlling EMT during embryogenesis and tumor progression. Through its N-terminal SNAG domain, Snail interacts with several corepressors and epigenetic remodeling complexes to repress specific target genes, such as the E-cadherin gene (CDH1). An integrated and complex signaling network, including the RTKs, TGF-β, Notch, Wnt, TNF-α, and BMPs pathways, activates Snail, thereby inducing EMT. Snail expression correlates with the tumor grade, nodal metastasis of many types of tumor and predicts a poor outcome in patients with metastatic cancer. Emerging evidences indicate that Snail causes a metabolic reprogramming, bestows tumor cells with cancer stem cell-like traits, and additionally, promotes drug resistance, tumor recurrence and metastasis. Despite many new and exciting developments, several challenges remain to be addressed in order to understand more thoroughly the role of Snail in metastasis. Additional investigations are required to disclose the contribution of microenvironmental factors on tumor progression. This information will lead to a comprehensive understanding of Snail in cancer and will provide us with novel approaches for preventing and treating metastatic cancers.
Keywords: Breast cancer, EMT, metastasis, signaling pathway, snail.
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title:The Role of Snail in EMT and Tumorigenesis
Volume: 13 Issue: 9
Author(s): Yifan Wang, Jian Shi, Kequn Chai, Xuhua Ying and Binhua P. Zhou
Affiliation:
Keywords: Breast cancer, EMT, metastasis, signaling pathway, snail.
Abstract: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a highly conserved process in which polarized, immobile epithelial cells lose tight junctions, associated adherence, and become migratory mesenchymal cells. Several transcription factors, including the Snail/Slug family, Twist, δEF1/ZEB1, SIP1/ZEB2 and E12/E47 respond to microenvironmental stimuli and function as molecular switches for the EMT program. Snail is a zinc-finger transcriptional repressor controlling EMT during embryogenesis and tumor progression. Through its N-terminal SNAG domain, Snail interacts with several corepressors and epigenetic remodeling complexes to repress specific target genes, such as the E-cadherin gene (CDH1). An integrated and complex signaling network, including the RTKs, TGF-β, Notch, Wnt, TNF-α, and BMPs pathways, activates Snail, thereby inducing EMT. Snail expression correlates with the tumor grade, nodal metastasis of many types of tumor and predicts a poor outcome in patients with metastatic cancer. Emerging evidences indicate that Snail causes a metabolic reprogramming, bestows tumor cells with cancer stem cell-like traits, and additionally, promotes drug resistance, tumor recurrence and metastasis. Despite many new and exciting developments, several challenges remain to be addressed in order to understand more thoroughly the role of Snail in metastasis. Additional investigations are required to disclose the contribution of microenvironmental factors on tumor progression. This information will lead to a comprehensive understanding of Snail in cancer and will provide us with novel approaches for preventing and treating metastatic cancers.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Wang Yifan, Shi Jian, Chai Kequn, Ying Xuhua and Zhou P. Binhua, The Role of Snail in EMT and Tumorigenesis, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2013; 13 (9) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/15680096113136660102
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/15680096113136660102 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
Leukocyte P2 Receptors: A Novel Target for Anti-inflammatory and Antitumor Therapy
Current Drug Targets - Cardiovascular & Hematological Disorders Intracellular Drug Delivery: Mechanisms for Cell Entry
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Design and Synthesis of Novel Phenothiazine Derivatives as Potential Cytotoxic Agents
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Molecular Imaging of Therapeutic Potential of Reporter Probes
Current Drug Targets Metal Oxide Nanomaterials in Nanomedicine: Applications in Photodynamic Therapy and Potential Toxicity
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Insects Antiviral and Anticancer Peptides: New Leads for the Future?
Protein & Peptide Letters Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors: New Potential Therapeutic Targets in Antinociception and in Cancer Therapy
Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Discontinued) Anticancer Drug-Induced Immunomodulation and Cancer Therapeutics
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews PET Imaging with [<sup>68</sup>Ga]NOTA-RGD for Prostate Cancer: A Comparative Study with [<sup>18</sup>F]Fluorodeoxyglucose and [<sup>18</sup>F]Fluoroethylcholine
Current Cancer Drug Targets Promising Protective Effects of Chrysin in Cardiometabolic Diseases
Current Drug Targets Mutations of Chromatin Structure Regulating Genes in Human Malignancies
Current Protein & Peptide Science Synthesis of Some Coumarinyl Chalcones and their Antiproliferative Activity Against Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Current and Emerging Strategies in Bladder Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase: A Promising Target for New Anticancer Therapies
Current Medicinal Chemistry Cellular Changes, Molecular Pathways and the Immune System Following Photodynamic Treatment
Current Medicinal Chemistry Glycosylation Pathways as Drug Targets for Cancer: Glycosidase Inhibitors
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Receptor Tryosine Kinase Inhibitors as Potent Weapons in War Against Cancers
Current Pharmaceutical Design Biomedical Applications of Gold Nanoparticles
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Platinum Group Antitumor Chemistry: Design and development of New Anticancer Drugs Complementary to Cisplatin
Current Medicinal Chemistry Alkaloids and Flavonoids as α1-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonists
Current Medicinal Chemistry