Advances in research of the relationship between ectopic hCG and malignant tumor / 中国癌症杂志

ABSTRACT

Ectopic human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is an autocrine hormone expressed by most malignant tumor cells. Increasing data recently showed that the expression pattern and biological properties of ectopic hCG was significantly different from that of the normal hCG secreted by trophoblastic cells. Evidence from different research groups strongly indicated that there was a direct relationship between the expression of ectopic hCG and the development of malignant tumor. Ectopic hCG may play a key role in regulation of tumor growth,metastasis and immune tolerance versus malignant tumor. The advances in the research of the molecular biologic characteristics and functions of ectopic hCG are reviewed and evaluated. [