Affiliation: | 1. Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Jiaxin Chen and Yizheng Wu have contributed equally to this study.;2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Key Laboratory of Musculoskeletal System Degeneration and Regeneration Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Jiaxin Chen and Yizheng Wu have contributed equally to this study.;3. Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China;4. Department of Anesthesiology and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Sir Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China |
Abstract: | Metastatic dissemination represents the final stage of tumor progression as well as the principal cause of cancer-associated deaths. Calpains are a conserved family of calcium-dependent cysteine proteinases with ubiquitous or tissue-specific expression. Accumulating evidence indicates a central role for calpains in tumor migration and invasion via participating in several key processes, including focal adhesion dynamics, cytoskeletal remodeling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and apoptosis. Activated after the increased intracellular calcium concentration () induced by membrane channels and extracellular or intracellular stimuli, calpains induce the limited cleavage or functional modulation of various substrates that serve as metastatic mediators. This review covers established literature to summarize the mechanisms and underlying signaling pathways of calpains in cancer metastasis, making calpains attractive targets for aggressive tumor therapies. |