Metastasis: To and fro

EMT, cancer stem cells and autophagy; The three main axes of metastasis

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are major factors contributing to the metastasis of cancer cells. Consequently, the signaling pathways involved in both processes are appropriate therapeutic targets in the treatment of metastasis. Autophagy is another process that has recently attracted the attention of many researchers; depending on the type of cancer and tissue and the stage of cancer, this process can play a dual role in the development of cancer cells. Studies on cancer cells have shown that different signaling pathways are involved in all three processes, namely, cancer stem cells, autophagy, and EMT. The purpose of this study was to investigate and elucidate the relationship between the effective signaling pathways in all three processes, which could play an effective role in determining appropriate therapeutic goals.

L1CAM as an E-selectin Ligand in Colon Cancer

Metastasis is the main cause of death among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. E-selectin and its carbohydrate ligands, including sialyl Lewis X (sLe^X) antigen, are key players in the binding of circulating tumor cells to the endothelium, which is one of the major events leading to organ invasion. Nevertheless, the identity of the glycoprotein scaffolds presenting these glycans in CRC remains unclear. In this study, we firstly have characterized the glycoengineered cell line SW620 transfected with the fucosyltransferase 6 (FUT6) coding for the α1,3-fucosyltransferase 6 (FUT6), which is the main enzyme responsible for the synthesis of sLe^X in CRC. The SW620FUT6 cell line expressed high levels of sLe^X antigen and E-selectin ligands. Moreover, it displayed increased migration ability. E-selectin ligand glycoproteins were isolated from the SW620FUT6 cell line, identified by mass spectrometry, and validated by flow cytometry and Western blot (WB). The most prominent E-selectin ligand we identified was the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 (L1CAM). Previous studies have shown association of L1CAM with metastasis in cancer, thus the novel role as E-selectin counter-receptor contributes to understand the molecular mechanism involving L1CAM in metastasis formation.

Metastasis of Prostate Adenocarcinoma in the Mandible: Rare Occurrence in Maxillary Bones

OBJECTIVE

This article describes the case report of a prostate adenocarcinoma in the mandible.

BACKGROUND

Prostate adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor common in men from the fourth decade of life. The occurrence of oral metastatic lesions is rare.

CASE REPORT

A 78-year-old male patient was referred to the oral and maxillofacial surgery service of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul for complaints of painless volume increase in the mandible. The diagnosis through the association of clinical, radiographic, and histopathological examination with the patient's health history determined that the lesion was prostatic adenocarcinoma metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rare occurrence of metastases in the oral region, the dental surgeon should be aware of the possibility for correct diagnostic conduction and, subsequently, the institution of treatment in the early stages of disease.