The role of EPH receptors in cancer-related epithelial-mesenchymal transition / 癌症

Erythropoietin-producing hepatoma (EPH) receptors are considered the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases and play key roles in physiological and pathologic processes in development and disease. EPH receptors are often overexpressed in human malignancies and are associated with poor prognosis. However, the functions of EPH receptors in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remain largely unknown. This review depicts the relationship between EPH receptors and the EMT marker E-cadherin as well as the crosstalk between EPH receptors and the signaling pathways involved EMT. Further discussion is focused on the clinical significance of EPH receptors as candidates for targeting in cancer therapeutics. Finally, we summarize how targeted inhibition of both EPH receptors and EMT-related signaling pathways represents a novel strategy for cancer treatment.

Expressions of homeobox transcription factor-2 and E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma and their clinical significance / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of homeobox transcription factor-2 (CDX(2)) and E-cadherin and their relations to the clinicopathological characteristics of gastric carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemistry was performed on 83 human gastric carcinoma specimens and 40 normal gastric mucosa specimens for examining the expressions of CDX(2) and E-cadherin, and the relations of their expression with the tumor differentiation, infiltration and metastasis were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>According to the LaurAn classification, the positive expression rate of CDX(2) in intestinal type of gastric carcinoma was 56.86%, and 34.38% in the diffuse type, showing significant difference between the two types (P<0.05). The positivity rate of E-cadherin was also significantly different between the two types (66.67% vs 28.13%, P<0.01). In regard to tumor differentiation, the positivity of CDX(2) and E-cadherin expressions was significantly different between moderately to well differentiated tumors and poorly differentiated ones (P<0.01). The tumors infiltrating mucosal and submucosal layers were significantly different from those infiltrating the muscular and serous membrane layer in the positivity of CDX(2) and E-cadherin expressions (P<0.01), which were also different for the presence of lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Regression analysis did not reveal significant correlations between CDX(2) and E-cadherin expression in gastric carcinoma (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The abnormal expression of CDX(2) and E-cadherin plays an important role in the development of gastric carcinoma, especially the intestinal type. CDX(2) and E-cadherin may serve as useful markers to predict the prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma.</p>