Urologic Survey (Basic Science)

Re: Chemokines in Cancer

10.4274/jus.2016.03.029

  • Fehmi Narter

J Urol Surg 2016;3(3):106-106

EDITORIAL COMMENT

Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that regulate the trafficking and positioning of cells by activating the seven-transmembrane spanning G protein-coupled chemokine receptors (GPCR) or non G protein-coupled seven-transmembrane spanning receptors called atypical chemokine receptors (ACKR). Chemokines are basic proteins that also bind to glycosaminoglycans which play important roles in their biology. Chemokines are divided into four subfamilies based on the position of the first two N-terminal cysteine residues, including the CC, CXC, CX3C and XC subfamilies. Nearly 50 chemokines and 20 signaling chemokine receptors and 4 AKCRs have been identified. Dysregulated expression of chemokines and their corresponding receptors is implicated in many diseases, such as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cancer. Chemokines are essential coordinators of cellular migration and cell-cell interactions and, therefore, have great impact on tumor development. In the tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated host cells and cancer cells release an array of different chemokines, resulting in the recruitment and activation of different cell types that mediate the balance between antitumor and pro-tumor responses. In addition to their primary role as chemoattractants, chemokines are also involved in other tumor-related processes, including tumor cell growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Therefore, further studies of the distinctions between the pro-tumor and antitumor activities of chemokines are warranted in order to develop more effective therapies against cancer.