Author/Editor		Kos, Janko; Vižin, Tjaša; Pečar Fonović, Urša; Pišlar, Anja
Title		Intracellular signaling by cathepsin X: molecular mechanisms and diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities in cancer
Type		članek
Vol. and No.		Letnik 31
Publication year		2015
Volume		str. 76-83
ISSN		1044-579X - Seminars in cancer biology
Language		eng
Abstract		Cathepsin X is a cysteine carboxypeptidase, localized predominantly in immune cells, regulating their proliferation, maturation, migration and adhesion. It has recently been confirmed as a significant promoter of malignant progression. Its role in signal transduction was first implied through the interaction with integrin receptors, either by binding with the RGD motif or by proteolytic cleavage of the C-terminal amino acids of the cytosolic part of the integrin beta chain. Several other molecules, involved in cellular signaling, have since been shown to be targets for cathepsin X, such as gamma-enolase, chemokine CXCL-12, bradykinin, kallidin, huntingtin and profilin 1.In cancer, cathepsin X regulates adhesion of tumor and endothelial cells andtheir migration and invasion through the extracellular matrix. It also promotes tumor progression by bypassing cellular senescence and by inducing anepithelial-mesenchymal transition. The high RNA and protein levels of cathepsin X, found in tumor samples and bodily fluids of patients with various cancer types, further support its active role in tumor progression. Its prognostic value and relation to response to chemotherapy confirm cathepsin X as a new target for improving diagnosis and treating cancer patients.
Keywords		adhesion cancer cathepsin X migration proteolysis signaling