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Clinical and Translational Oncology
Published in: Clinical and Translational Oncology 9/2016

01-09-2016 | Review Article

The emerging role of Snail1 in the tumor stroma

Authors: A. Herrera, M. Herrera, C. Peña

Published in: Clinical and Translational Oncology | Issue 9/2016

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Abstract

The transcription factor Snail1 leads to the epithelial–mesenchymal transition by repressing the adherent and tight junctions in epithelial cells. This process is related to an increase of cell migratory and mesenchymal properties during both embryonic development and tumor progression. Although Snail1 expression is very limited in adult animals, emerging evidence has placed Snail at the forefront of medical science. As a transcriptional repressor, Snail1 confers cancer stem cell-like traits on tumor cells and promotes drug resistance, tumor recurrence and metastasis. In this review, we summarize recent reports that suggest the pro-tumorigenic roles of Snail1 expression in tumor stroma. The crosstalk between tumor and stromal cells mediated by Snail1 regulates paracrine communication, pro-tumorigenic abilities of cancer cells, extracellular matrix characteristics and mesenchymal differentiation in cancer stem cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Therefore, understanding the regulation and functional roles of Snail1 in the tumor microenvironment will provide us with new therapies for treating metastatic disease.
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Metadata
Title
The emerging role of Snail1 in the tumor stroma
Authors
A. Herrera
M. Herrera
C. Peña
Publication date
01-09-2016
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Clinical and Translational Oncology / Issue 9/2016
Print ISSN: 1699-048X
Electronic ISSN: 1699-3055
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-015-1474-9

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