Endogenous Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules at the Crossroads of Inflammation and Cancer

Inflammatory mediators play important roles in the development and progression of cancer. Cellular stress, damage, inflammation, and necrotic cell death cause release of endogenous damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules or alarmins, which alert the host of danger by triggering immune...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Geetha Srikrishna, Hudson H. Freeze
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2009-07-01
Series:Neoplasia: An International Journal for Oncology Research
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1476558609800146
Description
Summary:Inflammatory mediators play important roles in the development and progression of cancer. Cellular stress, damage, inflammation, and necrotic cell death cause release of endogenous damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecules or alarmins, which alert the host of danger by triggering immune responses and activating repair mechanisms through their interaction with pattern recognition receptors. Recent studies show that abnormal persistence of these molecules in chronic inflammation and in tumor microenvironments underlies carcinogenesis and tumor progression, indicating that DAMP molecules and their receptors could provide novel targets for therapy. This review focuses on the role of DAMP molecules high-mobility group box 1 and S100 proteins in inflammation, tumor growth, and early metastatic events.
ISSN:1476-5586
1522-8002