The Potential Role of the Proteases Cathepsin D and Cathepsin L in the Progression and Metastasis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Biomolecules

Md Zahidul Islam Pranjol¹  Nicholas Gutowski¹  Michael Hannemann²  Jacqueline Whatmore¹ 

[1] Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK; E-Mails:;Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, Devon EX2 7JU, UK; E-Mail:

关键词: epithelial ovarian cancer;    angiogenesis;    metastasis;    cathepsin D;    cathepsin L;   

DOI  :  10.3390/biom5043260

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies and has a poor prognosis due to relatively unspecific early symptoms, and thus often advanced stage, metastasized cancer at presentation. Metastasis of EOC occurs primarily through the transcoelomic route whereby exfoliated tumor cells disseminate within the abdominal cavity, particularly to the omentum. Primary and metastatic tumor growth requires a pool of proangiogenic factors in the microenvironment which propagate new vasculature in the growing cancer. Recent evidence suggests that proangiogenic factors other than the widely known, potent angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor may mediate growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer. In this review we examine the role of some of these alternative factors, specifically cathepsin D and cathepsin L.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.