The dermcidin gene in cancer: role in cachexia, carcinogenesis and tumour cell survival.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

The diverse protein products of the dermcidin gene are relevant to immunity, cancer cell progression and cancer cachexia. This article evaluates recent developments/controversies around dermcidin.

RECENT FINDINGS:

Dermcidin has recently been shown to act as a survival/proliferation factor in hepatoma and prostate cancer cell lines. Recent studies suggest that the Y-P30 subunit of the dermcidin polypeptide offers a survival advantage in such cancer cells. Nevertheless, the relevance of Y-P30 to cancer growth in vivo, and mechanisms of action remain unknown. In mice, tumour cells appear to glycosylate the Y-P30 subunit, transforming it into a potent skeletal muscle proteolysis-inducing factor. Recent work has described a receptor and signal transduction pathways for murine glycosylated proteolysis-inducing factor. The absence of classical N-glycosylation sites in the human proteolysis-inducing factor peptide and the lack of specific tools for the detection of the key carbohydrate moieties conferring the proteolysis-inducing activity, however, remain barriers to confirming glycosylated proteolysis-inducing factor as a pro-cachectic factor in humans.

SUMMARY:

There is a growing body of evidence illustrating dermcidin as an oncogene and Y-P30 as a survival factor. The biology of murine proteolysis-inducing factor as a pro-cachectic factor continues to evolve; however, its role in human biology remains speculative.

• Authors: Grant D Stewart, Richard Je Skipworth, James A Ross, Kenneth Ch Fearon, Vickie E Baracos
• Journal: Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care (Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care) Vol. 11 Issue 3 Pg. 208-13 (May 2008) ISSN: 1363-1950 [Print] England
• PMID: 18403914 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Peptides
• Proteoglycans
• dermcidin
• proteolysis-inducing peptide

Topics

• Animals
• Cachexia (genetics, metabolism)
• Cell Survival
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Glycosylation
• Humans
• Neoplasms (genetics)
• Peptides (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Proteoglycans (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured