Role of Apelin/APJ axis in cancer development and progression

Publication date: March 2020Source: Advances in Medical Sciences, Volume 65, Issue 1Author(s): Javad Masoumi, Abdollah Jafarzadeh, Hossein Khorramdelazad, Morteza Abbasloui, Jalal Abdolalizadeh, Najmeh JamaliAbstractApelin is an endogenous peptide, which is expressed in a vast board of organs such as the brain, placenta, heart, lungs, kidneys, pancreas, testis, prostate and adipose tissues. The apelin receptor, called angiotensin-like-receptor 1 (APJ), is also expressed in the brain, spleen, placenta, heart, liver, intestine, prostate, thymus, testis, ovary, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and adipose tissue. The apelin/APJ axis is involved in a number of physiological and pathological processes. The apelin expression is increased in various kinds of cancer and the apelin/APJ axis plays a key role in the development of tumors through enhancing angiogenesis, metastasis, cell proliferation and also through the development of cancer stem cells and drug resistance. The apelin also stops the apoptosis of cancer cells. The apelin/APJ axis was considered in this review as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
Source: Advances in Medical Sciences - Category: Biomedical Science Source Type: research