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The CCN axis in cancer development and progression

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Journal of Cell Communication and Signaling Aims and scope

Abstract

Since the authors first reviewed this subject in 2016 significant progress has been documented in the CCN field with advances made in the understanding of how members of the CCN family of proteins, CCN1-6, contribute to the pathogenesis and progression, positive and negative, of a larger variety of cancers. As termed matricellular proteins, and more recently the connective communication network, it has become clearer that members of the CCN family interact complexly with other proteins in the extracellular microenvironment, membrane signaling proteins, and can also operate intracellularly at the transcriptional level. In this review we expand on this earlier information providing new detailed information and insights that appropriate a much greater involvement and importance of their role in multiple aspects of cancer. Despite all the new information many more questions have been raised and intriguing results generated that warrant greater investigation. In order to permit the reader to smoothly integrate the new information we discuss all relevant CCN members in the context of cancer subtypes. We have harmonized the nomenclature with CCN numbering for easier comparisons. Finally, we summarize what new has been learned and provide a perspective on how our knowledge about CCN1-6 is being used to drive new initiatives on cancer therapeutics.

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Abbreviations

ABCG2:

ATP-binding cassette super-family G member 2, drug pump

ACC-MESO-4:

Malignant pleural mesothelioma cell line-4

AGS:

Receptor-independent activators of G-protein signaling

Akt:

Protein kinase B (PKB), also known as Akt

p-Akt:

Phosphorylate form of Akt

AMPKα:

5′-AMP-activated protein kinase catalytic subunit alpha-1

Annexin V-PE:

Annexin V-phycoerythrin conjugate, affinity for phosphotidylserine

APC:

Adenomatous polyposis coli, gene negative regulator of β-catenin

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

B16-F10:

Murine melanoma cell line

BAX:

BCL2-associated X protein

BRAF:

B-Raf, Raf kinase family of growth signal transduction protein kinases

CacyBP/SIP:

Calcyclin-binding protein and Siah-1 interacting protein

CBP:

CREB-binding protein

CAFs:

Cancer associated fibroblasts

CCL18:

C–C Motif Chemokine Ligand 18, small cytokine of the small chemokine family

CDH2:

Gene encoding cadherin-2

ChIP-seq:

Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) with massively parallel DNA sequencing

CMS4:

Mesenchymal (CMS4) colorectal carcinoma, subtype of trefoil factor 3

COL1A2:

Collagen alpha-2(I) chain

COX-2:

Cyclooxygenase-2

CRISPR/Cas9:

Stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein-9, genetic engineering technology

CRP:

C-reactive protein

CRPC:

Castration resistant prostate cancer

CRPC:

Castration resistant prostate cancer

CT:

C-terminal cysteine-knot

CTNNB1:

Catenin (cadherin-associated protein), beta 1, encodes β-catenin

CXCL5:

C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5

CXCR4:

C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4

DG44 CHO:

Dihydrofolate reductase-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line DG44

DKK1:

Dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1, protein

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

EMT:

Epithelial mesenchymal transition

Eno1:

Enolase 1

FAK/Akt/Hif1α pathway:

Focal adhesion kinase/Akt/hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha

FC1199:

Pancreatic ductal cell line, mouse origin

FIGO:

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

FOXA1:

Forkhead box protein A1, also known as hepatocyte nuclear factor 3-alpha

5-FU:

5-Fluorouracil

GPCR:

G-protein coupled receptor

GSK3β:

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta

H1975:

Human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line

HepG2:

Liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, well-differentiated

HGC27:

Metastatic in lymph node gastric cancer cell line

HIF1α:

Hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha

HIF2α:

Hypoxia inducible factor 2 alpha

HMGA2:

High mobility group AT-hook 2, non-histone

HNF4α:

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha

sICAM1:

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1

ICAM-1:

Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1

Id-1:

Inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

IGFBP:

Insulin like growth factor binding protein

IGF2BP2:

Insulin like growth factor 2 binding protein 2

IL-8:

Interleukin 8

IL-6:

Interleukin 6

JAK:

Janus kinase

JJ012(S10):

Highly migratory primordial cell line, chondrosarcoma

KE39:

Gastric carcinoma cell line

K562:

Human myelogenous leukemia cell line

K562-ADM:

Adriamycin resistant clone of K562

KrasG12D:

Kirsten ras membrane signaling family, mammalian G12D mutant

LNCaP:

Androgen-sensitive human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line

LRP6:

Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6

LuM1:

Murine colon adenocarcinoma cell line-1

MAZ:

Myc-associated zinc-finger protein, transcription factor

MCF-7:

Luminal A breast cancer cell line

MDA-MB-231:

MD Andersen breast cancer cell line

MEK/ERK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase

MET:

Mesenchymal epithelial transition

MG-63:

Osteosarcoma cell line

miR:

MicroRNA

MKN45:

Gastric carcinoma cell line

MMTV-Cre;Ccn6fl/fl:

Cre recombinase floxed Ccn 6 mouse model, construct on mouse mammary tumor virus background

MMP7:

Metalloproteinase-7

MMP-9:

Matrix metalloproteinase 9

MST1/2:

Serine/threonine protein kinases, homologs of Hippo kinase

p-mTOR:

Phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin

cMyc:

Homology with avian virus, myelocytomatosis/cellular transcription factor C protooncogene

Nalm-6:

B cell precursor leukemia cell line

NCI-N87:

National Cancer Institute derived gastric carcinoma cell line

NF-κB:

Nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells

NOS2:

Nitric oxide synthase-2

NOS3:

Nitric oxide synthase-3

NOD/SCID:

Non-obese diabetic /severe combined immunodeficiency mouse

NUGC3:

Gastric cancer cell line

NSCLC:

Non-small cell lung carcinoma

PANC-1:

Pancreatic cancer cell line, ductal origin

PanIN:

Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia, dysplasia

PC-3AcT:

Prostate cancer cell line, acid tolerant

Pgk1:

Phosphoglycerate kinase 1

Pgam1:

Phosphoglycerate mutase 1

PI3k:

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase

PLG:

Plasminogen gene

PTEN:

Phosphatase and tensin homolog

TSP1:

Thrombospondin type 1 repeat

RKO:

Poorly differentiated colon carcinoma cell line

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

Runx2:

Runt-related transcription factor 2, osteogenesis

SNAIL:

Zinc finger transcriptional repressor, downregulates expression of ectodermal genes within the mesoderm.

Saos-2:

Osteosarcoma cell line

SDC2:

Syndecan 2

S1P2:

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate 2

α-SMA:

Alpha smooth muscle actin

SNA1:

RCI2 homologous gene, EMT marker Snail1

SUM159:

Triple negative breast cancer cell line

STAT3:

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3

TCF21:

Transcription factor 21 (TCF21), also known as pod-1

TCF/LEF:

T cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor, transcription factors

TGFβR1:

Transforming growth factor beta receptor 1

TIMP1:

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1

TRAIL:

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, apoptosis

TSP2:

Thrombospondin-2

U2OS:

Human osteosarcoma epithelial cell line

U373-MG:

Glioblastoma cell line

U87MG:

Glioblastoma cell line

U251:

Glioblastoma cell line

VCAM-1:

Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1

VEGFC:

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C

VWC:

Von Willebrand factor type C repeat

Wnt:

Signaling pathways-a portmanteau created from the names Wingless and Int-1

YAP/TEAD:

Yes-associated protein 1/TEAD transcription factor, Hippo signaling

YAP/TAZ:

Transcription co-factors, Hippo signaling

ZEB1:

Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 associated with EMT

ZR-75–1:

Human breast cancer cell line, invasive ductal carcinoma

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Both authors contributed to the writing of this review.

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Correspondence to Herman Yeger.

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Yeger, H., Perbal, B. The CCN axis in cancer development and progression. J. Cell Commun. Signal. 15, 491–517 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12079-021-00618-2

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