Inhibition of established micrometastases by targeted drug delivery via cell surface-associated GRP78.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The major cause of morbidity in breast cancer is development of metastatic disease, for which few effective therapies exist. Because tumor cell dissemination is often an early event in breast cancer progression and can occur before diagnosis, new therapies need to focus on targeting established metastatic disease in secondary organs. We report an effective therapy based on targeting cell surface-localized glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). GRP78 is expressed normally in the endoplasmic reticulum, but many tumors and disseminated tumor cells are subjected to environmental stresses and exhibit elevated levels of GRP78, some of which are localized at the plasma membrane.

Experimental design and results

Here, we show that matched primary tumors and metastases from pat

SUBMITTER: Miao YR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4331071 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature