Home > Browse Issues > Vol.38 No.2
The Role of Protease-activated Receptor 4 in Tumors
Wu Lingyan1, Ye Jingjia1,2*, Cao Jiang1*
1Clinical Research Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China;
2Chu Kochen Honors College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
2Chu Kochen Honors College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Abstract: Protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) is a member of protease-activated receptor family. It can be cleaved by specific proteinases at specific site within the extracellular N-terminus， and the new N-terminal exposed can act as an unique “tethered ligand” that binds to and activates the receptor itself， and regulates the downstream signaling networks mediated by its coupled G protein. Recent studies have shown that PAR4 may play different roles in different malignant tumors. Overexpression of PAR4 has been observed in human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma， colon cancer， breast cancer and chondrosarcoma， while down-regulated expression of PAR4 has been reported in gastric cancer， lung adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma，which indicate that PAR4 may trigger different signalings via distinct mechanisms in tumorigenesis， invasion and metastasis. Further systematic investigations on the relationship between PAR4 and malignant tumors will elucidate the molecular mechanisms of PAR4 action， and provide more ideas and the basis for developing novel PAR4-related cancer diagnostic techniques and effective anticancer drugs/therapies targeting PAR4.
CN
EN